A Hidden Kindness
by Accio Lumos
Summary: After the death of their father and her sister reaching rock bottom, Lizzy moves away with her little sister to live with their aunt and uncle in hopes of a fresh start and coming to terms with their loss. Will Darcy, however, is going through a similar loss and having to care for his teenage sister, will E&D bond? Or will they get off on the wrong foot? THIS STORY IS COPYRIGHTED!
1. Chapter 1

**A Hidden Kindness**

 **Disclaimer: Not Jane Austen, not claiming to be. Just using her characters for my own inspiration and writing. The only things that belong to me are the story plot, the title and any ORIGINAL characters.**

 **A/N:** So thank you in advance to anyone who decides to give this a read. This is a new E/D concept I've been toying with whilst I was still writing Autumn Changes and have been working on writing this whilst I was finishing up that story. This one, like NWTS, is about starting over with learning to deal with loss, how to grieve, how to see there's more to something than what meets the eye as well as other things.

In this story, I've decided to only have three Bennet siblings because I felt it crucial to my plotline. So if I decide to use characters such as Kitty or Mary Bennet for example, they aren't related to Jane, Lizzy or Lydia unless I decide otherwise; I will mention in an author's note before a chapter if I change my mind. It might be that they appear later in the story but with different last names.

Secondly, some of the characters may seem out of character than they were originally written in Jane Austen's masterpiece. Apologies if you don't like that. If this will be a problem for you, I kindly ask that you stop reading after this author's note finishes.

Thirdly, this story is another modern day, alternate universe, type story. Again, apologies if you don't like modern day, alternate universe stories, so I kindly ask again that if this proves to be a problem for you, please stop reading after this author's note.

Fourth, please let me know what you think by leaving a review and I hope to post once a week on Tuesdays but please bear in mind that this may not always happen, I'm now back for my 3rd year at uni and I have 3 kids.

And finally: Just in case I get any non UK readers, here's a little chapter terminology just in case you get confused over what certain things mentioned in this chapter mean:

 **GCSE's** are a course of educational subjects studied by teenagers aged 14-16 in the UK over a two or three-year period. Some subjects are compulsory, such as English, Maths, Science etc. whilst other subjects students can choose to study such as Media Studies, Health and Social Care, Music, Languages, Art etc.; all dependent on what courses a school offers. GCSE's are vital for students in the UK in order to get into a further education college (ages between 16-18 in most courses at a FEC).

 **A-Levels** are the courses that teenagers can choose to take at a further education college between the ages of 16-18. They can choose to do a BTEC course which is mainly an area of study in one course with another separate, additional course on the side or they can choose up to four A-Levels to study, picking different subjects from a course catalogue when they apply for a place. First year, where students are aged 16-17, is called AS Level where they study for a year, take an exam at the end of the academic year and then carry on into the final year, depending on grades. A-Levels are a vital course for students wanting to go to university.

 **A3:** The main motorway linking Portsmouth to London.

 **Thurston:** A village located just outside of the town of Bury St. Edmunds.

 **Portsmouth:** If you've read my story Never What They Seem, then you've already been introduced to Portsmouth. But for those that haven't, Portsmouth is the UK's only island city located on the south coast, directly opposite the Isle of Wight.

 **Ofsted:** The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. A department of the UK government whose job it is to inspect all schools across the UK and report on all aspects of how a school is run, the standard of teaching, children's welfare etc. to the government. A school is rated on a 1-5 scale with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. The reports on a school informs the government how changes to education can be made with the inspectors working closely with underachieving schools to improve the rating they are given after an Ofsted inspection.

Now that's out of the way with, enjoy my new story.

 **Chapter One**

As the song finished its final verse on the radio, Elizabeth Bennet sighed heavily in frustration as the traffic on the A3 to Portsmouth began to move again, only to stop a few seconds later. If there was one thing she hated about this journey, it was the traffic that she had been stuck in since passing Guildford, a good two hours of being stuck in this nightmare when if the roads had been clear, she would already be pulling into the driveway of her Aunt and Uncle's house.

She turned up the air conditioning, travelling on a hot August day and being stuck in the car since they had left Thurston that morning wasn't ideal. The drive from their old home to their new one should have only been a four-hour drive with traffic but it was now nearing six hours and her stomach was grumbling in hunger. Elizabeth turned her head to the passenger seat on her left, seeing her glum looking, fifteen-year-old sister sulking as she looked out of the window.

"Not too much longer, I saw a sign saying that we're only a few more miles from connecting to Portsmouth." Elizabeth said, trying to have a conversation with her sister.

Lydia didn't turn to look at her.

"So it'll be what feels like another two hours stuck in this traffic! Hopefully Aunt Maddie won't be too mad that we'll be showing up at dinner time." Lydia grumbled.

Lizzy sighed again, "I called her when we stopped at the services, she's not angry with us so don't worry." She replied.

"That's not what I'm worried about, you know it's not."

"So talk to me. It's what I'm here for."

For the first time since they had left home that morning, Lydia turned to face her, her blue eyes red and puffy. Elizabeth instantly felt guilty, she hadn't known that Lydia had cried at some point during their journey.

"I get that we needed a fresh start, me especially. But I don't see why you couldn't have just transferred me to another local school. Instead you and Jane made the decision to uproot me from everything that I've known. We've moved out of Longbourn but Jane gets to stay and now I'm moving one hundred and seventy-five miles away to live with my Aunt and Uncle and attend a snotty nosed private school that Uncle Ed teaches at." Lydia stated, rather unhappily.

"Lydi, I get that it's scary having to start over. You aren't the only one who's doing so. Jane had to stay at Longbourn in order to get the B&B running again, it's what she wanted to do. We had to move you to get you away from everything, it's for your own good after what happened last year." Lizzy replied softly.

"So you and Jane keep saying." Lydia muttered.

"How about me? I'm starting a new job at this school, I'm taking a new job as the school nurse at your new school." Elizabeth pointed out.

"Oh boo hoo! Lizzy, agrees to take a new job. We all know you agreed to the job in order to keep an eye on me." Lydia snapped.

"Would you prefer for me to leave you with Uncle Ed and Aunt Maddie on your own? I thought it would be better this way, you still get to have one of us with you."

"I'd rather just stay in Thurston." Lydia grumbled.

Turning her attention back to the long queue of traffic, Elizabeth sighed in relief as the cars in front of her starting moving again, it seemed that the traffic jam was now over. Starting her engine again, she started driving along the rest of the A3 and was soon seeing the views of the island city where her aunt and uncle lived and smiled as it seemed they would soon be making their way to the Gardiner residence.

It had been a tough decision to move away to start over with Lydia. After their father had died last summer, Elizabeth and her older sister of one year, Jane, had been left to care for their little sister. Their father's death had been tough on all three of the Bennet girls, with Lydia taking it the hardest. So after a tough year and Lydia having reached rock bottom, Elizabeth and Jane had called their aunt and uncle, their only remaining relatives, and asked for help.

Uncle Ed worked as a history teacher at a private school called Rosings Park which was located in Old Portsmouth, the oldest part of the city. Although a private school, Uncle Ed had managed to get a scholarship for Lydia so that she could attend there and also recommended Lizzy for the school nurse position that needed to be filled. This enabled Lizzy to have a job and remain with Lydia. At first, Lizzy was unsure of whether she should take the job, she had qualified with her nursing degree at the age of twenty-two and for two years worked at the local doctor's surgery as a nurse practitioner. But, after much talk with Jane about the offer, she realised that Lydia needed a fresh start and it would be better on their younger sister if she had one of them go with her. Jane stated that she was needed to keep Longbourn running successfully, it was something their grandfather had built up and their own father had wanted to keep running. So their family business was being run by Jane whilst Lizzy was now the guardian and parent figure to the sister nine years her junior.

Elizabeth continued to drive now that the traffic had cleared up, she indicated to switch lanes and moved over the road until she was in the lane that would take them into Southsea where her aunt and uncle lived. Her aunt and uncle had lived in Portsmouth for as long as she could remember, as a child they would often visit her Portsmouth relatives in the home which had been uncle Ed's childhood home and had raised his own children there with Maddie.

They were now in the city, passing quickly down the eastern road and stopping at the traffic lights by the graveyard.

"I can take a quick detour on the way if you want to get a little glimpse at the school. Uncle Ed says that it's the oldest school in the city." Lizzy offered.

Lydia shrugged, "I've still got another three weeks before I start year eleven, I'll give it a pass for now. Plenty of time to see it another day." Her sister replied.

Deciding it was best to leave Lydia alone, Lizzy said nothing more. She knew that it was probably for the best to let Lydia get used to the idea that, at least for the next year, they would be living in Portsmouth. A few more minutes of silence passed between the two sisters before Elizabeth drove past the football stadium and took a left on to Goldsmith avenue, continuing for a few more minutes until she was pulling up to park outside of her aunt and uncle's house. Switching off the car engine, Elizabeth saw her aunt and uncle come out of their house to greet them.

"At last!" Maddie said in relief, hugging the two Bennet sisters as they got out of Lizzy's car.

"We made it in one piece." Lizzy replied.

"Come inside, we'll get your bags after we've had dinner and you can let Jane know that you've arrived safely." Ed said with a smile, leading Lydia and his wife back inside the house.

Elizabeth locked the car up and followed her aunt and uncle, shutting the front door behind her; hoping that the decision for a fresh start with Lydia was going to be the right decision.

ooOoo

Several hours later, with their suitcases in their new bedrooms and their clothes unpacked into the wardrobes and drawers provided, Elizabeth and Lydia enjoyed a homemade Bolognese cooked by Maddie. Dinner was filled with conversation about getting used to the area, despite the Bennet girls knowing their way around Portsmouth the amount of times they visited their aunt and uncle per year, and Maddie stating that she had already ordered Lydia's school uniform which would be arriving later on in the week.

"You'll be fine Lydi," Ed said when they had finished eating, "The kids that go there are from all types of backgrounds, you won't be the only kid who got in on a scholarship."

"No, I'm sure I won't be. But I will be the only girl there who only got a 'scholarship' because my uncle pulled some strings with his boss." Lydia grumbled.

Lizzy kicked her sister under the table.

"Ouch! Lizzy!" Lydia shouted.

"Apologise. There's no need to be rude." Lizzy scolded.

"I'm sorry Uncle Ed for my rude remark. I know this opportunity must have been hard for you to arrange."

"It's fine Lydia. Why don't you go and watch some TV while Lizzy and I clear the table?" Ed suggested.

Lydia moved into the living room, slumping down onto the sofa and grabbed the remote off the side table. Maddie left the house, taking the Pomeranian dog they owned, named Trip, out for a walk. Lizzy gathered the plates whilst Ed took the glasses and the two of them walked into the kitchen to start the washing up.

"Lydia's finding it hard then?" Ed asked quietly.

Turning on the tap, Lizzy nodded and let out a sigh.

"She knows why we moved here and she knows it's all for her benefit but ever since we left Longbourn, she's been in a sulky mood. She barely spoke to me on the way down here." Elizabeth replied.

"Give her time. It's what you both need. Lydia isn't the only one who needs to come to terms with this adjustment." Ed smiled, washing the dishes before giving them to Lizzy to dry.

"I know. Jane and I discussed it at great length, we both felt it would be better if one of us came with her and when you mentioned the nursing, it was something else to move here for." Lizzy replied.

"It's a different environment, being the school nurse instead of a nurse practitioner at a doctor's surgery. You'll be dealing with all age groups but mostly you'll see the GCSE and A-Level students in the medical room."

"So the ones with the most attitude?" Lizzy laughed.

Ed smiled, "The kids at Rosings aren't that bad. The occasional class where you have to send a kid out for being a bit mouthy and a detention or two for catching a group smoking behind the girl's gym or behind the bike sheds but they study hard. They put the effort into their school work and Ofsted have always been happy when they inspect us." Her uncle said warmly.

"I should hope so. I've seen how much the fees are per term." Elizabeth muttered.

"Most of the kids are local ones, so Lydia will see a few familiar faces around town."

"I just hope that this was the right decision for her."

Ed patted her on the back.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You've taken on a role you never thought you'd have to."

"Jane and I both have." Elizabeth replied.

"And you're both doing your best." Ed pointed out.

"Playing mum to your kid sister isn't exactly what I wanted, any of us. After everything that happened after dad died, I began to wonder if I really had it in me; to parent, I mean." Elizabeth mumbled.

"You do, you've done what any mother would, you put Lydia's needs and interests first." Ed said softly.

The two washed and dried dishes and glasses for a few minutes in silence, giving Elizabeth the opportunity to ponder on what her uncle had said to her.

"What are you thinking about?" Ed asked, noticing the icy expression on his niece's face.

"What you said…I'm doing what any mother would do by putting Lydia's needs and interests first…not all mothers would do that. Mine certainly never did." Elizabeth replied honestly.

Ed froze and the air was tense.

"I'm sure your mother had her reasons…"

"Sadly, I doubt we'll ever know. She walked out when I was ten, Lydia was only just walking. We haven't heard from her since." Elizabeth stated bitterly.

"Perhaps you're right." Ed sighed.

No more was said on the subject of parenting as they finished the washing up. Aunt Maddie returned from walking Trip and the family settled down for the night, watching the latest episode of EastEnders. But despite wanting to stay up a little later to spend some time with her aunt and uncle, both Elizabeth and Lydia let out a huge yawn, causing their aunt to smile.

"Early night I think for you two." Maddie laughed.

"It's been a long day." Elizabeth agreed.

Lydia bade everyone a goodnight, heading up to her bedroom and seconds later, they heard the bedroom door close behind her. Lizzy followed shortly after, leaving her aunt and uncle alone in their living room.

"How were the girls when I took Trip out?" Maddie asked.

"Lydia was a bit moody but that's to be expected. Lizzy seems to be doubting her parenting skills, she's worrying whether she's made the right decision for Lydia." Ed replied.

"I believe she has, Lydia needed a change. I think Lizzy needs to have a little more faith in herself." Maddie said quietly.

Ed nodded, "I told her she was doing what any mother would do and she seems to believe that not every mother would put their child's needs and interests first." He muttered.

Maddie frowned.

"I take it the conversation turned towards Fran?" Maddie questioned.

Ed nodded again.

"Only briefly. Fran hasn't had any contact with those girls since she left Thomas." Ed sighed.

There was a moment of silence between the married couple, the only sound coming from the ending of the EastEnders episode before the sixty second news update from the BBC. Ed knew what his wife was thinking.

"You think I should tell them, don't you?" Ed asked quietly.

Maddie shrugged, "I think it might be an idea to tell them but maybe not straight away. They only moved in with us today and the two of them need to get used to the idea of living here permanently so the last thing they need to find out at the moment is that we're in touch with their absent mother." His wife answered.

"Eventually, we'll tell them. The question is, do we tell Fran?"

"Tell her what?"

"Everything. I don't agree with what she did; you know that I don't. When she walked out on the girls, I was the first one to give her a harsh telling off but Fran's always been stubborn. She said that when she had sorted herself out she would get in touch with her daughters but fourteen years goes by and the girls are now adjusting to life without their father, now might be the time to make Fran aware of just how much the girls need her."

Maddie bit her lip, trying to think whether they should get in touch with Fran or not.

"I think we need to think long and hard about whether we tell your sister or not, Ed. Give it time, see how Lizzy and Lydia adjust and maybe then we'll tell them that we're in touch with their mother and then they can make the decision on whether or not they need their mother in their lives." Maddie suggested.

Rubbing his temple, Ed nodded in agreement.

"You're right. This can't be rushed into. We need to give the girls time to adjust. Besides, if we tell Fran everything that's happened, this can either go two ways. One, she could rush in and try and be a mother that they might not want or two, she could just walk away again."

"Don't forget, Jane and Elizabeth may feel angry towards Fran if their mother did decide to get back in touch with them. They were eleven and ten when Fran walked out on the family, they were getting to an age where they really needed their mother around. Lydia probably doesn't remember Fran; she was only one when their mother left." Maddie pointed out.

Ed sighed, "If I could give those girls anything, I would bring their father back." He muttered.

Maddie smiled affectionately at her husband and cupped his cheek.

"I know you would, but sadly none of us have the power to bring back the dead. All we can do is be there as they continue to adjust to life without their dad." Maddie said softly.

Ed returned his wife's smile and looked at the clock, noting it was nearly nine o'clock.

"Shall we see if there's anything on catchup to watch?" Ed asked.

"Why not? Before we know it, we won't be able to enjoy evenings like this. Lydia will probably be wanting to watch her sitcoms in a few weeks time." Maddie laughed.

Ed chuckled as he and his wife settled back down on to the sofa in a more comfortable position before he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. The TV guide was brought up on screen and Maddie started to flick through the catchup section, all the while he wondered just how well this new start for his nieces would go.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews on the first chapter. I won't give away any details but there's a lot to be discovered as this story progresses with regards to Lydia, Mrs. B and even in Darcy's past so feel free to continue to speculate as the story goes on, I'm happy to read any theories you may have.

Now someone was confused about the ages in this story so just to clear that up now: Jane is twenty-five, Lizzy is twenty-four, Both Lydia and Georgiana are fifteen, Darcy is twenty-seven. Lizzy studied from eighteen until twenty-two doing a four-year nursing degree, a friend of mine just finished her four-year nursing degree this summer at university and after researching, most nursing degrees in the UK are this long. After graduating, Lizzy managed to get a job at her GP surgery as a nurse practitioner which was her career for two years before she moves to Portsmouth with Lydia.

I will update chapter three on Tuesday so please enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

The next morning, Lizzy woke up at eight o'clock to the light sound of birdsong outside her bedroom window. After spending her first night in what was now her new home, she had slept relatively well. For the first time in a long while, she hadn't gotten up in the middle of the night to check on Lydia and she could only hope that her little sister would accept their second chance at a fresh start. Kicking back the covers, she got out of bed and dressed and then headed downstairs.

She felt much refreshed after having a good night's sleep following the difficult drive that she and Lydia had down to Portsmouth the day before. When she entered the living room, she saw Ed watching the morning news whilst drinking a cup of tea and Maddie was sat at the table in the adjoining dining room, typing away on the laptop.

"Good morning." Elizabeth greeted.

"Morning Lizzy, do you want a cup of tea?" Ed asked.

"Yes please."

Ed got up from the sofa, heading out into the kitchen as Lizzy sat opposite her aunt at the dining table.

"Is Lydia up yet?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah, she headed out about ten minutes ago. Said she was going for a run." Maddie replied.

"I suppose that's something." Elizabeth muttered.

Maddie smiled, "Give her time." Her aunt said.

"I will."

Ed returned minutes later with a freshly made cup of tea and placed it down in front of Lizzy.

"What are you planning on doing today?" Ed asked.

Elizabeth shrugged, "I have no idea. I was thinking about giving Jane a call at some point to just check in and let her know we got here okay. I tried to call her last night when I went up to bed but I think she might have gone to sleep herself." She said.

"How about I take you and Lydia out to lunch?" Ed suggested.

"You don't have to-"

"Don't be silly. Maddie will be working on her laptop all day and I've got to go to the supermarket to do the food shop later this morning but this afternoon I'm free as a bird." replied Ed.

Maddie looked up from her laptop and sighed, "The joys of doing admin work from home." Her aunt apologised.

"It's a necessary evil, right?" asked Elizabeth.

Maddie nodded, "It pays the mortgage." Her aunt replied.

Her aunt had worked from home as an administrator for most of her childhood, it was how Maddie had raised Elizabeth's cousins because they couldn't just afford to live on Ed's teacher's salary alone. As far as Elizabeth knew, Maddie had a lot of contracts with some big companies that had stores out in Whiteley Village, Gunwharf Quays, a few businesses around Portsmouth and a few others in locations she wasn't really sure about.

As Elizabeth joined her uncle in the living room to watch the rest of the morning news, she yelped in surprise as she felt a cold sensation on her bare feet. Looking down to the floor, she saw a golden, fluffy dog licking at her toes.

"Trip!" Elizabeth giggled, bending down to pick the dog up.

The little Pomeranian barked happily as Elizabeth scratched his ears before the little dog settled himself into Elizabeth's lap as the news finished and the newest episode of Bargain Hunt came on to the channel. As she was about to reach for the remote to change the TV channel, her phone beeped.

 _Sorry didn't answer last night, went to bed early. I can talk now if you're free?_

Smiling to herself, she pressed the call button on the top of the screen next to her sister's name. The phone dialed and made the ringing sound a few times before she heard the familiar, soft voice of her elder sister on the other end of the phone line.

"Hi Jane." Elizabeth greeted.

"Hi Lizzy, how are you and Lydia?" Jane asked.

"We're good, well rested. We didn't get here until nearer dinner." Elizabeth replied.

"Did you get stuck in traffic?"

"Yeah, an accident on the A3. But we're settling in slowly, I just need to give Lydi some time to get used to it."

"It's a big change, she understands why she needed to go, at least I think she does."

"How's the B&B coming along?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well you know that the repairs have all been completed and the inspection reports have come back as satisfactory, the decorators will finish off the bedrooms today before they start on the lounge and the dining room. The guest house will seem so empty without you and Lydia there to keep me company." Jane sighed.

"We'll have to discuss our plans for Christmas soon, are you planning on keeping the B&B open throughout the festive period?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm not sure yet. After last year, we kind of need to take as much money as possible because we lost out on so many bookings and then with all the insurance money being spent on repairs and decorating the main house, I can't afford to hire a housekeeper just yet."

"Aunt Maddie isn't charging me any rent whilst we live here, if you want I could send some money out of my wages each month to help cover the cost of a housekeeper?" Elizabeth offered.

"I can't ask you to do that." Jane stated quietly.

"You aren't asking Jane, I'm offering. It's just as much my business as it is yours and Lydia's."

"Considering that you gave up your job at the doctor's surgery to go to Portsmouth to be with Lydia and you're starting a new job, I can't ask you to worry about Longbourn. Worst case scenario, I'll ask the bank for a business loan." said Jane.

"Will you at least think about it? I don't want you getting into trouble with a bank loan." asked Elizabeth.

"I will, I promise. Don't worry about Longbourn, we should be officially open again the weekend before the bank holiday weekend. I've had a phone call this morning from repeat customers that have stayed with us every August bank holiday weekend for the past four years." Jane replied positively.

"The Harris family?"

"That's the one. The website goes live tomorrow and Lydia said that she'll manage the Facebook page with me in order to promote that we're up and running again." said Jane.

Elizabeth smiled, "Lydia and her social media." She mused.

"I'll give her a call later. So, any plans yet?" Jane asked.

"I think she'd like to hear from you but I'm not sure what time she'll be back from her run. So far the only plans we have is that Uncle Ed said he'd take us out to lunch this afternoon and Lydi's gone for a run. Uncle Ed and I have got a thing at the school next week. I get to meet the other members of staff, be shown around the school and then there's a barbecue if the weather is nice, if not the head teacher is hiring out a hall and caterer so we can have a meal cooked." Elizabeth replied.

"It sounds like your new boss is quite generous." Jane said.

"Apparently she likes to show that she is but she's quite a tough one. According to Uncle Ed, if you get on her bad side there's no coming back to her good side."

"You'll have to tell me all about this meet and greet thing next week."

"I will. Anyway, Trip is due for his mid-morning walk and Aunt Maddie's busy working so I need to take him out. I'll call you later in the week." Elizabeth sighed.

"Bye Lizzy, speak soon." Jane replied softly.

"Speak soon sis. Love you."

"Love you too."

After hanging up the phone on her elder sister, Elizabeth placed Trip on the floor and headed back into the dining room. Ed called his goodbyes as he left the house to get into his car; heading off to the supermarket.

"I'll take Trip for his walk if you want?" Elizabeth offered.

Maddie smiled, looking up from her laptop and took a sip of her lukewarm tea.

"That would be great, thank you. I should be able to finish a lot earlier now that you've offered to take Trip for his walk."

Elizabeth gave her aunt a passing smile before calling the dog, who followed her with excited yapping and running around her feet. She reached for the lead from where it was kept on the hangers on the kitchen wall before getting out the rubbish bags to take with her incase. Bending down, she clipped the lead on to Trip's collar, shouted her goodbyes to her aunt and left the house, with Trip padding along beside her.

It was a relatively quiet morning; the postman was the only person she saw as she made her way down the street. The occasional car would drive by but it wasn't until she walked past Palmerston Road, that more people were out and about. Palmerston Road was a little high street filled with some shops; mostly small businesses like bakeries, a book store, DIY shops and a few charity shops mixed in with some larger chain stores that you could find up and down the country. The little shops were starting to open for the day as she walked down the last little bit of Palmerston Road and across Southsea common. As a child, she had always enjoyed the visits to see her aunt and uncle, there had been many occasions where she, her sisters, her father and her aunt, uncle and cousins would take the travel barbecue to the common. They would eat burgers and sausages that Ed cooked on the barbecue and run around playing football, all the while feeling the cool, sea spray hit them lightly as the hovercraft came in to take new passengers over to the Isle of Wight. But now, the common was littered with leftover barbecue food, barbecue trays scattered over the dying grass and broken beer bottles strewn everywhere. Seeing the common in this state disgusted her, it was as if that nobody cleaned up their own mess any more.

Rolling her eyes, she steered Trip away from the grassy common and stuck to the pavement, she decided to follow the sign posts that took her into Old Portsmouth and in the direction of her new workplace. Continuing to walk with Trip, stopping occasionally when the little dog need to pee, she passed the Square Tower and Old Portsmouth Cathedral and waked down until she reached the main, ornate gate that had the name of the school carved into the top of the frame in bronzed lettering. Rosings Park School was situated in a building that definitely told passersby that it was one of the oldest buildings in Portsmouth, possibly dating back to Victorian times. Having asked Ed before she and Lydia moved down to Portsmouth, the school had three different buildings that taught its students in and sports were played on the fields owned by the Ministry of Defence by Gunwharf Quays.

Suddenly she felt like she was being watched, as she felt someone invade her personal space.

"Yes, it's quite a magnificent school." A voice said behind her.

Turning around, she met the curious stare from the woman who had spoken to her. Her red hair was tied into a tight bun at the top of her head, which didn't help the skin of her forehead which had been pulled back from the tightness. Her blue eyes seemed to give off the impression of friendliness but to Elizabeth, she could tell that the woman wasn't friendly by the way she looked down her nose at her and the little Pomeranian at her feet.

"The building is well maintained." Elizabeth agreed.

"The head teacher owns the building; it has been in her late husband's family for generations apparently. My brother is starting to teach here next month, the only school worthy to teach at if you ask me; state-funded schools are so vile." The woman informed her with a sneer.

Elizabeth didn't really know what to say in reply to a woman who hated state-funded schools. She herself had attended one, as had Jane and Lydia before Uncle Ed had made the suggestion to her and Jane to move Lydia away from Thurston. But luckily, she didn't need to reply to the red-headed woman. The local cathedral bells started to ring, announcing the new hour and the red-headed woman looked in the direction of the clock on the cathedral and sighed heavily.

"It was _lovely_ talking to you but I have places to be." said the woman.

Without saying goodbye, Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief that the stranger had turned and started to walk away. She thought it was strange how the woman had the sudden urge to come up and briefly talk to her and from their brief encounter; Elizabeth got the impression that the red-headed woman was a little bit snobby. With one last look at her new workplace, she gently tugged on Trip's lead and made her way back to her aunt and uncle's house.

As she crossed the road, she made the quick decision to get herself a drink from the newsagents. She walked back in the direction of Palmerston Road, noticing that now the shops had opened for business for the day, it was a lot busier. Continuing past the high street, she reached the newsagents that she knew her uncle liked to go to. She tied Trip's lead up to the lamppost outside the shop before giving the little dog a little scratch behind his ear and then headed into the shop.

Inside the shop, it was relatively quiet. The shopkeeper was sat behind the counter reading the morning newspaper whilst one other customer besides herself was looking hopelessly around the shop. Elizabeth went to the cold drinks section of the shop and picked up a bottle of water and headed over to the till to pay. Just before she reached the till, she lost her footing on a loose part of flooring and tripped, holding her arms out she managed to catch herself by gripping the upper arms of the other customer in the shop.

As she looked up, her green eyes met muddy brown ones that looked down at her quite coldly. His curly brown hair was short but long enough for some of the curls to fall around his forehead and ears and the way he gripped on to her whilst she gathered her footing made her note that he was quite strong, he was rather attractive on first glance.

When she was back on her feet, she smiled at him gratefully but he sighed as his phone beeped and he got it out of his pocket, giving it a quick glance before shoving it back from where it had come.

"Thank you, I'm sorry if I hurt you when I tripped over." she said politely.

The man looked at her as if he was silently scolding her, the cold stare that came from his eyes suddenly made her feel uncomfortable. As he picked up the milk he had just paid for, he rolled his eyes at her.

"Just watch where you're going next time." he snapped at her.

Then he left the shop, leaving Elizabeth to scoff in disbelief as she placed the bottle of water on to the counter to allow the shopkeeper to scan it.

The man that she was grateful to for stopping herself from getting a bruised or grazed had now irritated her.

 _How bloody rude. He couldn't just accept my apology and my thanks._

And now her opinion of him being quite attractive had faded, his rudeness towards her had changed that.

The shopkeeper took the change that she handed to him and then she left the shop and untied Trip from the lamppost, determined not to let one rude encounter with a stranger ruin her day.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, I expect none of you were expecting Lizzy to meet snotty-nosed Caroline and a rude Darcy in this chapter eh? As in my first A/N, chapter three will be posted on Tuesday and will take place on the same day as this chapter but in Will's point of view and his behaviour will be explained then, so please don't go to hard on him.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Posting today due to university conflicts that have been booked last minute without my knowledge. Due to this, I will be unable to post next week so decided to post earlier. Chapter four will come on Tuesday 18th October.

Enjoy.

 **Chapter Three**

The day started off brightly, with the light sound of birdsong filling the bedroom of William Darcy. Laying on his back, he stretched his arms out wide and stared up at the ceiling, knowing that today was the day that his life would change forever.

His muddy brown eyes moved from the ceiling as he propped himself up against the headboard of his bed and they came into contact to look at the black suit that was hanging on the back of his bedroom door. Alice had ironed it the day before and left it there for him to change in to.

Three weeks ago his father, Reginald Darcy, had lost his three-year battle to cancer and had left Will unsure of what his life was going to be like. Will had been devastated to lose his dad and every day for the last three weeks had been the same; managing the business that his grandfather had built up and passed down two generations, making funeral arrangements, calling the various friends and remaining family members to inform them of the date of the funeral and the most important role he had taken on; taking on the parent role to the sister twelve years younger than him.

When it came to parenting a fifteen-year-old, Will had to admit that he was pretty clueless. He didn't know where to start when it came to Georgiana. The age gap certainly didn't make it any easier in their current situation. When Georgie had been a toddler, he was a fifteen-year-old teenager and going to house parties with his friends, going bowling or riding bikes with Charles and Richard along Southsea Common in the hot summer days whilst his little sister was being taken to the splash pool and watching Dora the Explorer. Sure, when she had gotten to her early teens and he had matured after his university days of getting his bachelor's degree in business studies, they had grown a little closer; he was taking her out to see films at the cinema or taking her shopping and out for lunch. But now he was twenty-seven and he now had to view his little sister in a different way, he had to see her from a parental point of view.

For the last twenty days, Georgiana had barely said more than five words to him. They ate their meals together in silence and she hadn't gone to school in the last two weeks of the summer term because of their father's death; instead she shut herself in her bedroom or was out with her best friend, Laura Annesley. He didn't know how he was supposed to grieve with his sister when she refused to give him the time of day when they were under the same roof.

Today was the day that they were going to bury their father, in the same plot their mother had been buried in seven years ago. Today it would all be official, he was supposed to say a final goodbye to his father and then carry on with his life as if nothing had happened. William knew that he had to stay strong, people were counting on him.

Kicking back the covers, he got out of bed and headed downstairs; the smell of bacon cooking in the kitchen filled his nostrils. As he entered the kitchen, he saw gave a small smile to the woman who had been like a second mother to him. Alice Reynolds was in her mid-fifties and had been working for his family since before he had been born, mostly as a housekeeper but sometimes helped out with the caring for him and Georgiana; especially after their mother had passed away.

Alice was already dressed in a black dress, her slightly greyed brown hair was tied up into a bun at the back of her head but her friendly blue eyes showed her sympathy and her supportive nature as she handed William his bacon sandwich as he sat at the kitchen table.

"Thanks Alice, is Georgie up yet?" Will asked.

"I haven't seen or heard from her yet. I did knock on her bedroom door but, as expected, she didn't respond." Alice sighed.

"She needs to get ready soon, the cars will be here at eleven."

"I'll go up after I've been to the shop, we need some more milk, Georgiana will have the last of it."

Will took a bite of his bacon sandwich and swallowed it in two bites.

"I'm going to read the paper and then get changed, would you mind if I went to the shop to get the milk? I could use the fresh air and time alone before I start getting pestered." Will asked.

"If you feel like you need it. You know those people mean well don't you?"

"I do but there are some who will be in attendance at my father's funeral who will offer their shoulder to cry on that I wish I could avoid." Will replied.

Alice chuckled, "You mean Caroline don't you?" she asked.

Will nodded and shuddered, just the thought of his best friend's little sister offering a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen made him uncomfortable. The woman had been after him romantically for years now, she had even gone as far to try and cause a wedge between him and past girlfriends but yet, her plans to get her claws into him had always failed.

"Alright, but I want you to remember that if you need someone to talk to, then I'm always here." Alice said warmly.

Will gave her a grateful smile, he didn't know how he could have gotten through the last three weeks without Alice's support.

"You'll never give up on us, will you?" Will asked quietly.

Alice placed her hands on his shoulders and gave a light squeeze.

"I'll always be here for you and Georgiana for as long as you'll have me." Alice replied, reassuringly.

Then she left the kitchen, heading into the living room to watch the morning new as Will opened up the day's local newspaper and began to flick through the pages; not really paying attention to the content that much. His attention would briefly take note of crime reports in the area, even touching up on some of the crimes that had been solved in Portsmouth but there was nothing really interesting to report.

After finishing his bacon sandwich, Will got up and placed the plate in the sink before heading back upstairs to change into his suit. For the first time in his life, he had a lot more responsibility placed upon his shoulders. During the first two and a half years of suffering from cancer, his father still ran the family company, The Pemberley Association, so he hadn't really taken over the daily running of the business from their London offices until his father needed to go into hospice care when he took a turn for the worse. Even the last six months where he had taken over the company hadn't been too much stress but now his father was gone and everyone had expectations of him. William was starting to feel overwhelmed and the only support that he had was from three people: Alice, Richard and Charles.

Once he was finished changing into his suit, he fastened the tie and headed downstairs, stopping in the kitchen as he saw a blonde, curly haired girl sat at the table eating her breakfast.

"Good morning Georgie." Will greeted softly.

But his sister didn't turn to look at him, she continued to munch loudly on her coco pops and read the morning paper. Sighing heavily, Will went into the living room to tell Alice he was heading out to get the milk from the shop and then he picked up his keys and slammed the door to a close behind him.

It was a glorious day, hardly a cloud in sight. A lovely day. A day in which he'd rather be taking Georgiana out for lunch or take her into London to do some sightseeing and shopping. Burying his father wasn't exactly what he wanted to do; but it needed to be done all the same. Taking a deep breath, he started the short walk to the shop and just for a few minutes, he felt like he was just a twenty-seven-year-old who wasn't saying goodbye to his father, who wasn't now the owner and operator of a multi-million worldwide company and who wasn't now the guardian and parent figure to his fifteen-year-old sister.

The shop was quiet, with him being the only customer and Pavel, the owner of the shop, was sat behind the counter reading the newspaper and barely acknowledged him enter the shop. Will walked over to the section of the shop that held the milk and deliberated how much milk he needed to buy, his father had always bought semi-skimmed and memories came flooding back from the days that his mother had been alive and he vaguely remembered that his mother had always preferred the skimmed milk. He smiled to himself at the thought of the petty disagreements his parents had had when he was a child, the milk debate of 'red vs. green' bottled milk was one of the things that made him laugh now, it was just milk. But it was nice picturing in his mind a younger version of his parents in the kitchen; squabbling over something which really didn't matter.

In the background he heard the shop bell ring to indicate that another customer had entered the shop. Picking up a two-pint bottle of milk, he headed in the direction of the counter to pay, only for him to hear the sound of someone tripping over the loose bit of flooring that he had stepped over. Turning around, he caught the woman and she gripped his upper arms as she looked up at him. As they made eye contact, it felt as if he was momentarily stuck to the spot in which he stood.

 _I've never seen a shade of green in eyes that striking before._

The woman got to her feet just as his phone beeped, indicating he had a text message. Sighing, he got it out of his jacket pocket and quickly glanced at the screen. Without swiping the lock, he could see the message written on the lock screen.

 _Thinking of you today, if you need, anything ;), you know where I am. See you at the church. Caroline x_

He shoved the phone back in his jacket pocket and looked at the woman. He didn't want to attend his father's funeral if the woman who had been dying to get her claws into him since they were teenagers was going to be there. But he knew that he would have to just get through the day as best he could, although he could feel the surge of annoyance rolling through him that even on a day like today, Caroline would still try to convince him that she was the perfect woman for him.

"Thank you, I'm sorry if I hurt you when I tripped over." she said politely.

"Just watch where you're going next time." he snapped at her.

Paying for the milk, he picked it up and left the shop, silently cursing himself that he had taken his annoyance out on a complete stranger, who was only thanking him from saving her from a potential minor injury.

ooOoo

The funeral was now over, his father had been buried and all he felt was the overwhelming stress and pressure he had felt ever since his father had died. Everyone was now gathered in the church hall for the wake, with a buffet table of light food in the far corner whilst Alice handed out cups of tea and coffee she had made in the kitchen to the mourners. Will hadn't been left alone, which was all he wanted in this moment. He wanted nothing more than to head home with Georgie and Alice and just talk to them about his father but instead he'd had various of his father's business partners stealing him away from having a private moment to check on his father.

All of them said basically the same thing to him: "Sorry about your father's passing, he was an excellent man to do business with. Speaking of business, you've taken over TPA now haven't you? I'm sure your father had great faith in your ability to run the company, give me a call and we'll set up a meeting about the future of our businesses…."

It was exhausting having to plaster a smile on his face and pretend that he was interested in the future of The Pemberley Association on the day that he had buried his father. It was as if that was all of his father's business partners cared about, what was going to happen to their own companies now that Reginald Darcy was dead. When he had finally managed to get away from the shaking hands and talking figures, he headed into the kitchen, only to be greeted by his aunt Catherine.

"Ah Fitzwilliam, the wake seems to be going well." Catherine greeted.

"Thank you for coming, Catherine." Will said politely.

"Don't be silly, dear nephew, your father was my brother-in-law. But there is something that I wanted to speak with you about and now seems like the only opportunity that I may get." Catherine stated.

"What is it?" Wil asked.

Catherine placed her empty cup in the sink and turned to him.

"Your father was on the board of governors for Rosings Park, now that he has passed away, the position falls to you." Catherine informed him.

 _Great! More responsibility._

"Isn't there somebody more suitable to take the position?" Will questioned.

Catherine looked at him through narrowed eyes.

"No. The rest of the governors and myself have decided that we want the position to remain in the Darcy family and we voted that you should fill it."

"But-"

"Fitzwilliam, I shan't hear any words of protest. You are the head of your family now and that comes with responsibility. Besides, Georgiana attends my school, it's only right that her brother takes the position her father had. It's your duty as a Darcy." Catherine insisted.

"Very well." Darcy said through gritted teeth, not wanting to lose his temper at his father's wake.

"I expect you to attend the meet and greet barbecue at the school next Friday, all of the governors will be there and you'll have to meet my new members of staff. Your friend Bingley will be among them; he's going to be my new Geography teacher."

Catherine left the kitchen as Will clenched his fists. The last thing he needed was to have all of these people, who were supposed to be grieving his father's death, placing all of the positions his father had held on his shoulders before his father was even been in his grave for an entire day. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? Why couldn't they just wait to discuss business matters until he felt ready? Why couldn't he just break down into tears and mourn his father's death? But no, he was expected by London's rich list to carry on as if nothing had happened and that meant he wasn't able to break down; he had to stay strong for the business and for Georgiana.

He exited the kitchen and stood in the entryway, just as his sister had exited the hall and was heading to the doors that led into the graveyard.

"Georgie!" he called.

His sister turned around, but somehow, she didn't look like Georgiana any more. Sure, she still had the blonde curls, her eyes were still the same shade of brown that she shared with him, she was still that little five foot four-inch teenage girl. But he couldn't describe it, somehow she wasn't the same sister he had always known.

"Where are you going?" Will asked.

Georgiana sighed.

"Out. I need to get out of here. Laura's meeting me on the corner and we're going to hers." Georgie replied.

"You should be here." Will stated.

"Please. Nobody knows I even exist. The only people who have spoken to me since this damn day has started are you, Mrs. Reynolds and Richard. Aunt Catherine and Anne haven't even offered their condolences to me. At least if I go to Laura's, I'll be with someone my own age." Georgiana scoffed.

"But Georgie-"

"No, Will, please. Just let me go."

He sighed heavily, he had ideally wanted his sister to be here with him to endure all of these insufferable people.

"Fine. I want you home by ten at the latest." Will said firmly.

Georgiana rolled her eyes and left the hall and he wished that he could go after her, force her into talking to him but he knew deep down that it wouldn't work even if he tried. His sister needed to be left alone right now.

But before he could go back inside the hall and rejoin the wake, somebody who he hadn't seen in five years had walked into the entryway. She looked exactly the same as she had all those years ago; jet black hair which was longer now than it had been five years ago, bright blue eyes that he thought always looked so genuine, and that smile as if nothing had ever happened.

"Sarah…." Will said quietly.

The woman smiled, but continued to stand in the spot where she stood.

"Hello Fitzwilliam, it's been a long time." Sarah greeted warmly.

"You have some nerve turning up here, today of all days!" Will hissed angrily.

Sarah's smile faded, clearly she hadn't expected her arrival to his father's wake to be a hostile welcome.

"Your father meant a great deal to me." Sarah replied quietly.

"I don't care. I don't want you here."

"Please, let me stay. There are things that I want to say to you."

Will looked at her impatiently, he didn't need Sarah adding to his plate of stress.

"Not today, Sarah. I've just buried my father. Besides, how did you hear that he was dead? I didn't call you."

"No you didn't but I read about it in the financial times and then I came to Portsmouth and bought a local paper which confirmed the date of the funeral-"

"How did the papers find out the date of the funeral?"

Sarah shrugged, putting her hand in her jacket pocket and placing a business card in his hand.

"It's got my number on it. Give me a call in a few days and we can meet up, there are things I need to say and I'd like it if you'd hear me out." Sarah requested.

"You can have five minutes, that's all I'm prepared to give you." Will stated.

Sarah nodded her head, telling him that she understood why he was being the way he was and left the building and disappeared out of sight. Will stood in the entryway, stunned that she had turned up again in his life. He wasn't sure what Sarah was going to say to him and he wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to hear it but he did know one thing; he could deal with the lust filled looks he had been getting from Caroline all day, he couldn't deal with the arrival of someone he had ordered out of his life five years ago.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** I've decided to change the day each chapter is posted, from now on it will be Fridays that I post because it's turned out better for me to do so. Some of you seem intrigued by Sarah, there is a lot more to come as the story progresses and you will eventually learn the background of what happened to Lydia, who Sarah is and why Mrs. B left her daughters.

Just in reply to a guest reviewer who was surprised at how long the burial took. In regards to the burial of Will's dad within this story, I'm going off my own experiences in burying loved ones. One of my grandfathers died on Christmas day and we couldn't bury him for four weeks due to bank holidays and autopsy reports. My other grandfather it took nearly three weeks because of autopsy reports. Three or four days is a relatively short time to organise a whole funeral unless under certain religious circumstances. From my own experiences, it takes time for the coroner to release the body to the funeral home and there may be autopsies that need to be performed before the funeral can be planned. So, I decided to use my own experiences when it came to Reginald Darcy's death.

Enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

The following Friday came too quickly for Will's liking. The day after Sarah had turned up at his father's wake he had texted Sarah, asking her to meet him in Gunwharf Quays. He had finished up a lunch meeting with some of his father's business associates from London which hadn't gone so well. The business associates were adamant that it was time for him to head back to his office in London but he told them straight that he had responsibilities to his sister and had decided to remain in Portsmouth until after the Christmas period, with Richard stepping in as a temporary replacement to manage things in London.

As he sat in the outside seats of The Slug and Lettuce, he saw her walking towards him, wearing a pair of shorts and a bright floral shirt; the clothing threw him, it was completely different to what she used to wear.

"Hi, can I get you a drink?" Sarah asked.

Will shook his head.

"No, I'm fine thanks. Take a seat."

Sarah sat in the chair next to him.

"How have you been?" she asked.

"Fine."

"And Georgiana?"

"She's fine."

Sarah nodded, the atmosphere awkward until Will cleared his throat.

"I think you should tell me why you're here, why did you come to my father's wake?" he suggested.

"I came because I did want to pay my respects. Reginald was a good man and you take after him in that sense."

Will laughed harshly, guessing where the conversation was going.

"And you wanted to tell me that you made a mistake?" Will asked.

Sarah's eyes were glistening with tears that weren't yet falling down her cheeks. She blinked them back as she bit her lip and nodded.

"I made the worst mistake of my life when I lost you."

Will got up from his seat, checking his watch before looking back down at her.

"This meeting is over, I don't want to hear how you made a mistake, we all make mistakes but what you did, I can't forgive you for. I'm sorry, but I can't. Go back to your life, Sarah, and forget that we ever knew each other." Will said.

As he turned to leave, Sarah shouted after him but he refused to listen. He wasn't in the mood to listen to her excuses about their shared past and after the bad meeting with the business associates, he now was expected to show up at Rosings Park to socialise with his aunt's members of staff. Using the escalators that led him underground to the Gunwharf Quays carpark, he paid for his ticket and got into his car, starting the engine to make the short journey to Rosings Park.

ooOoo

"Don't worry Lizzy, I'm sure it'll be fine." Lydia smirked.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her little sister's words. Ever since they had moved to live with their aunt and uncle, she had been saying those words to Lydia and in the week that they had lived there, Lydia had felt the need to repeat those words to her when Ed had mentioned that she would have to attend the Rosings park meet and greet staff barbecue. A part of her had been dreading it, she wouldn't know anyone apart from her uncle and given that the school was a private school, she doubted that there would be anyone who were from similar backgrounds to her.

"Come on Lizzy, we'll be late." Ed called from the hallway.

"Coming!" Elizabeth called back.

Pulling on her shoes, she turned to Lydia, who was sat watching The Middle on Comedy Central.

"Are you going to do anything today, other than sit around watching sitcoms, I mean?" Elizabeth asked.

Lydia shrugged.

"Aunt Maddie's gone to collect my uniform for Rosings, so I may take Trip for a walk before she gets back." Lydia yawned.

"Have fun. Make sure you do get out today."

"Will do. You have fun as well."

Elizabeth met her uncle in the hallway and together they left the house and climbed into Lizzy's car, with Maddie having taken her uncle's to the delivery depot. She started the engine and pulled out of the driveway before beginning the journey to Rosings.

"Try to relax, you'll be fine. There's lots of staff there who are around the same age as you. We aren't all stuffy, old teachers with no sense of humour." Ed laughed.

Elizabeth smiled, "It's just…this means that it's really happening. A new job, a new place to live. Sometimes it doesn't feel real." She explained.

"I get it, Lizzy. But it is real and I'll be here for you and Lydia, every step of the way."

It wasn't long before she was pulling into the staff carpark and following her uncle across the road to the playing fields that her new boss had hired for the day. They walked across the field to where a large, white marquee held most of the Rosings staff members and a large barbecue was cooking several pieces of meat. When Elizabeth and her uncle reached the marquee, they sat down at one of the tables where a young woman was sat.

"Hello Charlotte, enjoying your summer?" Ed asked.

The woman called Charlotte smiled, tucking a lock of her short brown hair behind her ear.

"I am Ed, thank you, and yourself?" Charlotte asked.

"It's going well. This is my niece Lizzy; she's going to be the new school nurse. Elizabeth Bennet, this is Charlotte Lucas, she teaches English." Ed introduced.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you Lizzy. Are you looking forward to starting at Rosings?" Charlotte asked.

Elizabeth sat down next to Charlotte, as her uncle headed off to get them both a drink.

"It's certainly a new challenge, I've never been a school nurse before." Elizabeth replied.

"Really? So a new environment for you? What kind of nursing did you do before?"

"I worked as a nurse practitioner at my local GP surgery where I used to live."

"Nice job. Where did you used to live?"

"I doubt you would have heard of it, a little village called Thurston."

Charlotte smiled, "No, I haven't heard of it if I'm honest. What part of the country is it located?" the woman asked.

"It's not far from Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk. I grew up there."

"What brings you all the way to Portsmouth, if you don't mind me asking?"

Elizabeth felt that the woman wasn't really prying, they were just getting to know each other but still, she didn't feel comfortable revealing the entire truth of why she and Lydia had moved away from their childhood home to start somewhere new.

"It's fine. We just needed a change of scenery, a fresh start."

"We?"

Elizabeth nodded, "My little sister. She's starting Rosings as a student next month, she's sort of dreading it, we aren't from a rich background." She explained.

Charlotte smiled, "Don't worry, she'll get on fine. I know how it looks, the building, the fees, the background that some of the kids come from but there's a good mixture of children from different circumstances. I'm not from a rich background but I've made some good friends here, you will as well."

"I hope so, otherwise my sister will murder me in sleep." Elizabeth laughed.

As Ed returned to the table, she felt herself relaxing a little more as she continued to chat with Charlotte, eventually conversing with others as a tall, red haired man sat at their table with an older man with grey streaks in his own red hair.

"Nice to see you, Wesley." Ed greeted.

"Likewise Edward, has Catherine done the rounds yet?" the older man asked.

Ed shook his head, "Not yet, I haven't even seen her."

"I take it the lovely young lady sat next to you is a new member of staff?" Wesley questioned.

Ed nodded, "My niece Lizzy. Elizabeth Bennet, this is Wesley Bingley, he's on the board of governors. Wesley, my niece is going to be the new school nurse." He introduced.

Elizabeth reached across the table and shook hands with Wesley until the man nodded towards the younger man with him.

"My son Charles, he's starting a teaching position here." Wesley informed them.

"What subject?" Charlotte asked.

"I'll teach IT."

"Can you actually fix a computer or are you just really handy when it comes to making a spreadsheet?" Elizabeth teased.

Charles grinned, "I can build computers from scratch, install software, diagnose faults. There's a lot more to me than being 'handy when it comes to making a spreadsheet', Miss Bennet." He replied, not minding her tease.

"Charles used to be a manager at Novatech in Portchester. Catherine did have him down for Geography by mistake but it's been rectified now." Wesley informed.

"So teaching is a bit of a new area for you?" Ed asked.

Charles nodded, "A whole new area. My dad spoke with Catherine de Bourgh about signing me up for the teaching course they do here through Chichester College." He replied.

Wesley left the group, announcing that he had just seen Catherine head out to the barbecue and needed to talk to her about something, leaving the rest of them to continue their conversation.

"I wasn't aware that was a thing." Elizabeth said.

"It's a fairly recent thing," Ed replied, taking a sip of his drink, "Catherine signed up Rosings for the teaching course about two or three years ago. Anyone who has a degree already but wants to start a new career in teaching can apply for this course, they gain the experience of teaching and complete a class schedule in the evenings at the college."

"I completed it two years ago," Charlotte added, "It's hard but overall it's worth it. When I was on the course, it was a two evenings a week at the college with a two-hour lecture on both and with the teaching experience here where an examiner assessed your performance and then you complete an exam at the end once you have finished all the coursework."

"Sounds complicated." Elizabeth commented.

"It's not if you're sensible. One of the women I met doing it two years ago wasn't serious about it, she was quite young and cared more about partying and in the end, Catherine threw her off the course when she turned up to work wearing the previous night's clothes with a bottle of vodka still in her bag."

Elizabeth's eyes widened.

"This woman wasn't very smart then, was she?" she asked.

Ed shook his head.

"No she never gave the impression she really wanted the position either. She always complained about the underachievers in her maths group instead of helping them or supporting them. Catherine confided in me that her parents had pushed her into pursuing a teacher career." He replied.

"I can assure you that while I like to have a good time, I won't be coming into work in last night's clothes with a bottle of vodka in my bag." Charles chuckled.

The rest of them laughed, enjoying the conversation as they all got to know each other a little better. Eventually Charles left the table as he spotted a tall, dark haired man walking across the field.

ooOoo

Will walked across the large field, feeling a sense of dread that after his awful business lunch and the short but awkward meeting with Sarah, he wasn't in the mood to socialise with his aunt's members of staff. He picked up a can of coke from the ice filled drinks, plastic picnic box and joined Charles as his best friend met him by the barbecue.

"Glad you could make it Darcy, at least there's a familiar face here." Charles greeted.

"I'd rather be at home at the moment." Will said grumpily.

"What happened?"

"Well the business lunch was a disaster, they were trying to convince me to return to running the business from the London office instead of having Richard running things temporarily."

"Richard is perfectly capable."

"I agree, that's why I accepted his offer at the wake. I'm still checking in with Richard every few days to make sure he's coping, I'm answering emails and phone calls and I'll be making a visit to the office in Bury St Edmunds in December, we're due to discuss the charity I want to set up."

"What charity?" Charles asked.

"I haven't decided on a name yet but our office in Bury St Edmunds is the one that corresponds with the TPA volunteers who are currently in a village located in the Segou region of Mali. The local governors are quite enthusiastic about working with us to improve rural life in the region." Will replied.

"So, what will happen at this meeting?"

"Well I'll discuss with the MD of the Bury St Edmunds office what's been happening over there, discuss where to get started and then she'll write up the report of the meeting and send it to the head of the volunteer group who will then meet with the local governors."

"How long have you been working on this, exactly?"

"Years. My father started it initially, after my mother died and he watched a news report about how the Niger floods and leaves these villages half destroyed. He wanted to set up a charity to help build flood defences, access to fresh water, that kind of thing."

"You'll get things sorted with TPA eventually, Richard and I have faith in you. Is the business lunch the only reason you're in a bad mood? Or is Georgiana acting all rebellious?" Charles questioned.

"Georgie is pretty much keeping to herself, I guess she just wants the alone time so I'll give it to her. But no she's not the reason and the lunch, although a reason for my bad mood, isn't the only reason. Sarah came back."

Charles's eyes widened in surprise.

"Sarah…"

Will nodded, "She came to the wake but left after I refused to hear her out then and we met today briefly. She wanted to tell me she made a mistake." He said.

"You figured out what you're going to do?"

"I'm not having her back in my life, she caused too much hurt."

"Well, I think you need to forget about the shitty day so far, things could improve. I've met some nice people already, two women in particular who I think I could build some good friendships with." Charles said brightly.

"That's a start."

"Why don't I introduce you to Charlotte and Elizabeth? Both are quite pretty, Elizabeth especially. Lovely eyes, lovely figure, lovely to talk to." Charles said, pointing in the direction of the table he had been sat at.

Will briefly turned around and glanced at the two women, taking a quick look before turning back to his best friend.

"You're a sucker for women, Charles."

"I'm single, I'm free to look. Besides, it's too soon to say if there is anything there, I've only just met the two of them. What I do know is from speaking with them, is that they both seem quite genuine and honest, two traits I value in friendships." Charles replied.

"And you want me to talk to them…because?" Will questioned.

Charles rolled his eyes.

"It might make your day better if you get to know them. All you have to do is talk to them, not all women are like Sarah."

"I don't even want to be here, Charles. Why would I want to speak to some woman when in my experience with the ones I already know, they only want to know me because they know how many zeros come after the first number in my bank account?"

"I'll admit that Caroline is all about the wealth, I won't lie for or defend my sister on that part. But Elizabeth seems quite nice, she's quite fun from my first impression of her-"

"I honestly don't care how pretty she is, how fun she is, how nice she is. I'm not in the mood to engage in conversation with a plain stranger who might turn out to be worse than your gold digger sister." Will said, a little too loudly.

Charles shot him a look of warning as Will turned around, instantly regretting what he had said about the woman his friend was saying was perfectly nice. As his eyes met green ones, he mentally kicked himself about not thinking before he spoke.

 _That's the woman from the shop, those green eyes. That's the second time you've been rude, well done Will!_

The woman cleared her throat and turned to Charles.

"Sorry to interrupt, but your dad was looking for you Charles." The woman said.

"I'd better see what he wants. Elizabeth, this is my friend William Darcy, he's on the school board of governors." Charles introduced.

Elizabeth gave him a small smile as Charles headed off to look for his father.

"Are you new to the school?" Will asked.

Elizabeth nodded, "I'm the new school nurse, not all of us are 'plain strangers' who are 'gold diggers' you know." She said harshly, turning around and leaving him stood there.

ooOoo

As Elizabeth walked away from William Darcy, she knew that he was the same man who had snapped at her the week before in the shop. After hearing him call her a 'plain stranger' and a 'gold digger', she came to the conclusion that he wasn't a pleasant person to get to know. He was rude, he looked down his nose at her and with that, she guessed he was probably a little bit snobby as well. It was people like him that made her nervous to start her new job at Rosings. She wasn't from a rich background. Sure, the B&B that her grandfather had turned Longbourn into was a small business, they had some money but after the previous year, they were starting again from scratch and it was only Jane at Longbourn now to oversee the family business.

As she sat back down at the table where her uncle and Charlotte were sitting, an older woman stopped at one of the empty chairs. She was about the same height as Elizabeth, her hair completely grey and tied back so tight that the skin on her forehead was pulled back as well. Her face showed a few wrinkles, nothing major that Elizabeth couldn't take a guess at how old she was and those sharp, blue eyes looked down the end of her nose that it made Elizabeth shiver down her spine; telling her that she didn't want to get on this woman's bad side.

"Charlotte, Edward, enjoying your summer off?" the woman asked.

"I am, thank you for asking Catherine." Charlotte replied politely.

"Same here, I've been kept busy." Ed smiled.

The woman made eye contact with Elizabeth and for a brief moment Elizabeth wanted to get out of this meet and greet gathering. Just the look on the woman's face made her feel like she wasn't welcome here.

"Is this one of your nieces, Edward?" Catherine asked.

Ed nodded, "My niece Elizabeth, your new school nurse." He introduced.

"Catherine de Bourgh, owner and head teacher of Rosings. Have you had the chance to look around your medical room and office?"

Elizabeth shook her head.

"No, not yet. I've been enjoying getting to know some of my future colleagues."

"Well, make sure that you get the tour of the school when your uncle takes the new teachers on the tour. You won't get another chance and I shall be displeased if you get lost on the first day of term." Catherine instructed.

"I wouldn't worry; I have a good sense of direction." Elizabeth replied.

Catherine narrowed her eyes before moving on to the next table. Starting up the conversation again, she and Charlotte continued to chat and agreed to meet up for lunch after swapping phone numbers; it felt good that she was starting to get to know Charlotte and even Charles seemed quite nice, it was just a shame about the rude man he associated with.

The rest of the afternoon went by and Elizabeth had met some more nice people such as Marie King who taught music and Aimee Long who taught girls PE. William Darcy eventually took a seat at the table opposite to hers and just stared at her for the majority of the afternoon.

 _He's staring at me, simply to continue to make assumptions and judge me._ Is all she thought whenever she met his gaze, she didn't even know why the man had even bothered to turn up at this staff event, it was evident that this was the last place that he wanted to be. But she didn't say anything else to him, she simply helped herself to the cooked food, ate and laughed with the people she was getting to know and then Ed started the tour, leading a group of new staff members into the school buildings.

Rosings Park was a large school, split into sections by departments. The IT suites were filled with up to date technology, the science labs were kept under lock and key which the teachers had one copy of to their own lab, the performing arts section of the school was huge, with a large room, that Elizabeth guessed used to be a ballroom, converted into a dance studio with a drama studio next door. Just the entire school was completely different to the secondary school that she had attended during her teenage years.

Once the group had finished being shown around the main school, they were shown the staff room, cafeteria, and finally they were shown where the medical room was located. It was quite big, with two medical beds on opposite walls, with a filing cabinet, cupboards that contained student and staff medication which were kept under lock and key. Just off the medical room was a small office, containing a desk, office chair and desktop computer and in the far corner, a small but comfortable looking armchair.

After the tour was over, the group returned to the field where Catherine announced the meet and greet gathering was at an end and everyone started to walk back to their cars. As Elizabeth climbed into the driver's seat of her car, she looked back to see that William Darcy was staring at her again; making her wonder just what his problem was with her.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I know I said in the last chapter that I would be posting on Fridays but I'm afraid I've yet again had to change it. Things with uni are all over the place at the moment where my workload keeps changing and because I have a busy week with my children's various appointments and general day to day life, I'm posting Chapter Five today. I won''t promise a set day each week to post but what I will promise is that I will post once a week until I've run out of chapters ready to post, but I'm three chapters ahead at the moment and I'm aiming for it to stay that way.

I hope you all like this chapter, it reveals a little into the Bennet's background but I won't say any more in case I ruin it for you. Please let me know your thought and Chapter Six will come next week at some point.

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

In the week since his aunt had insisted on him going to the meet and greet barbecue, Will hadn't been able to focus on much. During the day time, he constantly thought about his father and wondered how he had managed to cope with running TPA as well as being a father because the two roles that he had now taken on were already proving to be a huge pressure. His father's business associates were insistent on not doing their business with Richard, despite his cousin being perfectly capable of dealing with the running of TPA, their excuses were that they wanted to deal with the Darcy and not the Fitzwilliam. And the parenting wasn't much easier. Georgiana was always out of the house before he got up in the morning and he would see her for thirty minutes at dinner time until she went out to Laura's again. He didn't know whether he should try and be a little stricter with his sister but Alice said that she was with her friends and that's what she probably needed at the moment; to be with people her own age. So he decided that, for the rest of the summer holidays, he would give Georgiana the space she needed but once school started, he would have a talk with her.

Aside from thoughts of his father, sister and TPA, he would often lay awake at night unable to sleep, because whenever he closed his eyes; he was haunted by a pair of dark green eyes that had sparkled with thanks when he had stopped Elizabeth Bennet from tripping over in the corner shop. Since his comments about her at the meet and greet barbecue, he had seen her around Southsea a few more times, she was either walking that little dog or on a run with some teenager he guessed was a relative.

Whenever she did notice that he had noticed her, they would share just a brief moment of eye contact before she would go on her way, nothing more was said or done and he really wanted to have the opportunity to apologise for the two occasions that he had been rude to her and that he was wrong to make a snap judgement about her. He wanted to explain that he was going through a hard time and was trying to adjust to his new life and with these pressures on his shoulders, it had made him to act out in a way that he wouldn't usually behave.

But he was brought out of his thoughts on ways to get Elizabeth Bennet along to give an apology by a female hand waving in front of his face. Blinking twice, his vision came into focus as he saw his sister standing in front of him.

"Sorry Georgie, what's up?" Will asked.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'll be staying at our London house over the bank holiday weekend." Georgie replied.

"Why?"

"Because Laura has tickets to see Jack Whitehall-"

"Who?"

"He's a comedian, her favourite one. Anyway, the show doesn't start at the Hammersmith Apollo until eight o'clock and we didn't want to get a train back home at stupid o'clock as we'd have to get picked up from Havant train station, they don't run that late to Portsmouth and Southsea train station or to Portsmouth Harbour train station. So I figured that it would be a little easier to stay in London overnight and then come home on Sunday." Georgiana explained.

Will bit his lip. He wasn't sure if he felt comfortable letting his teenage sister stay at their London home on her own with her best friend for a night.

"Okay Georgie, you can go-"

"I wasn't asking permission-"

"I'd rethink that attitude, you're my responsibility now."

"Can I go?"

"You can go…but Richard is staying at the house so I'll ask him to keep an eye on you."

Georgiana's face dropped and all of sudden she looked furious.

"I can stay in the house for one night on my own, dad let me do it loads of times!" Georgiana protested.

"I know but-"

"I'm not a little girl any more Will." Georgiana grumbled.

Rolling his eyes, he sighed. The last thing he wanted was to have an argument with her.

"Fine. I'll drop it but Richard will most likely be coming and going because he's staying there whilst he's taking care of TPA for me." Will conceded.

Georgiana smiled, saying her thanks before leaving the room. When she went upstairs to her bedroom, she pulled out her phone to call Laura. The dial tone only lasted a second before her best friend picked up.

"Will okayed us staying at our house in London." Georgiana squealed in excitement as she closed the bedroom door.

"That's great! Now I've got the tickets already, make sure to pack your bag and I'll sneak my sister's ID and we can get some booze and have a good time." Laura replied happily.

"Are you sure it will work; with your sister's ID I mean?"

"Don't worry Gee, I've done it a hundred times before. Clara's only three years older than me and we're the spitting image of each other. All you have to do is dress up like we're going clubbing and go to the shop and act confident, maybe act a little tipsy from time to time to show you're an adult to make the shop keeper believe you. In the corner shops, they don't even usually ask for ID if you dress the part." Laura said confidently.

"I can't wait; I really need this weekend right now."

"I understand Gee, I do. Just you and me having a good time, it's just a shame that Mary and Kit couldn't join us."

Georgiana smiled to herself. Mary and Catherine 'Kit' Bartholomew were twin girls the same age as them and part of their little friendship group that they had formed during their years together at Rosings.

"I think Kit updated her facebook status as 'Bartholomew girls conquering Greece' the other day, I'm assuming they're enjoying their cruise."

"Lucky bitches, they get a month's cruise around Greece and I'm stuck in England."

"It's not so bad, you have me."

"I might go and get a tan done at this new place that's opened in North End, do you want to come with?" Laura asked.

"Sure, it gets me out of the house. Will's always brooding these days, it's nearly impossible to be around him. Whenever we've talked, he's changed completely towards me."

"Ugh, brothers eh? You're lucky you've only got one." Laura complained, a tone of ice present in her voice.

Georgiana rolled her eyes, she had always envied her best friend for having a big family. Laura was the youngest Annesley child and had three older brothers and an older sister. But although her best friend complained about the way her brothers teased her, Laura had a good relationship with every one of her siblings, with her eldest brother only being six years older; which was a lot better than the twelve-year age gap between her and Will.

"I'll see you in a little while, there's some stuff that I have to do before we go shopping." Georgiana muttered into the phone.

"Okay, see you in a little while."

Hanging up the phone call, Georgiana placed her phone back inside her pocket and sighed. Taking one last glance around her bedroom, she picked up her bag and left to head out with Laura for the afternoon.

ooOoo

"Just finished talking with Jane, I think she'd like it if we went up for the weekend soon." Elizabeth said.

Lydia smiled.

"We've only been here a few weeks and she already misses my mess around the guesthouse?" her sister asked.

Elizabeth gave a light laugh.

"It would seem so. The main house is now open and she'd had a few bookings this week and a few for the bank holiday this weekend."

"Sounds like things are slowly getting back to normal for Longbourn." Lydia mused.

There was a slight pause. Elizabeth didn't know how Lydia was going to react to the question that Jane had asked her to speak to Lydia about and a part of her wanted to leave it but she knew it was better to talk about it now.

"Lydia, there's something I need to ask you."

"What is it?" Lydia asked.

"Jane asked me if we wanted to move back into our old bedrooms in the main house now that the house has been completely repaired." Elizabeth said lightly.

Lydia's smile faded and then she shook her head.

"I can't, too many memories."

"Are you happy with the guesthouse when we go home sometimes?" Elizabeth asked.

"It was hard living in the guesthouse when we had to pass the burned down main house but going back into my old bedroom won't help me grieve properly, it will just make me feel even more guilty than I already do." Lydia replied.

"You know it wasn't your fault. Jane and I don't blame you, we never did."

"I know that. But I still blame myself, not for the fire. But if I hadn't snuck out that night, dad wouldn't have rushed back in there to get me when he thought I was still asleep. If I had stayed home instead of sneaking out, I would have been outside with the rest of you and dad would still be here." Lydia explained quietly.

Elizabeth sat down next to her sister on the sofa and wrapped an arm around Lydia's shoulder. Their father's death had been hard for all of the Bennet girls, but Lydia had taken it the hardest because she blamed herself for causing their father's death.

"You were fourteen and rebellious, you wanted to go to that party and you did what any teenager would have done-"

"Did you or Jane ever sneak out?" Lydia interrupted.

"Plenty of times. You didn't know that the fire was going to happen." Elizabeth replied.

"What happened after dad died is my fault though, I was completely off the rails." Lydia sniffed.

"And you've punished yourself enough but I hope you realise that throughout everything that's happened, Jane and I love you and we don't hate you or blame you. Moving here to live with Ed and Maddie is your chance to put the last year behind you, to grieve for dad and make him proud." Elizabeth said softly.

"I know; I just can't help but wonder about the 'what ifs'. What if I had stayed home?"

"It won't do you any good to think like that. We all need to talk openly about what we're thinking or feeling remember?"

Lydia nodded and sniffed slightly.

"I just miss him so much, Lizzy." Lydia cried.

The two sisters embraced, the entire house quiet except for the painful sobs coming from Lydia and the sniffing as Elizabeth let out the grief that they hadn't properly let out since their father's death. When their father had died from smoke inhalation after rushing back into their burning B&B because he thought that Lydia was still in the house, Elizabeth knew that Lydia blamed herself because her little sister felt that it was her fault their father had died. But she didn't see it that way. The way she saw it was that their father made a quick decision and although Lydia had been irresponsible for sneaking out, she had never once placed any blame on her little sister. The months that followed Thomas Bennet's death had been the toughest thing that the Bennet sisters had been through, with Lydia really going off the rails to punish herself because of the guilt she felt over their father's death.

Eventually the two sisters stopped embracing and both wiped their eyes from the crying that they had done into each other's shoulders.

"Dad wouldn't want you to keep blaming yourself, he told you before he passed away that he didn't blame you." Elizabeth said.

Lydia nodded, pulling a tissue out of the tissue box on the side table to blow her nose.

"I know he did. I suppose that because he was in the hospital and he was still alive for a little while, I thought he was going to get better and then it was just so quick, his lungs just stopped functioning and then the doctors were telling us that he was dead. All that went through my head from receiving the news to the funeral and the months after, all I could think about was me disobeying dad about the party."

"We all thought he could be treated Lydi, but fate had other ideas. I know that sounds horrible and I miss dad so much too, but he would want us to stay strong and be there for each other. Just remember, you are not alone."

Lydia gave her a small smile.

"Thanks Lizzy."

"How about I treat you to an afternoon out? Have some lunch, do a bit of shopping?" Elizabeth suggested.

"That sounds great."

Before Elizabeth had the chance to talk more with her sister, the front door opened and Maddie walked into the living room; looking at both sisters with a look of concern.

"Is everything alright?" Maddie asked.

Elizabeth gave a small, reassuring smile.

"I've just finished talking to Jane, she asked if we wanted to move back into our old bedrooms now that the main house is up and running for business again." Elizabeth explained.

"Oh…"

"I decided not to," Lydia said, "I got a bit upset but me and Lizzy had a talk, we're fine."

"I imagine it would be hard for you all if you decided to live back in the main house." Maddie said softly, moving to the sofa and wrapped an arm around Lydia's shoulder.

"I can't imagine living in the main house now that dad's gone. At least with the guesthouse, it wasn't the main house, it was across the grounds and after the funeral, I got used to living there with Lizzy and Jane." Lydia sighed.

"We don't have to move back into the main house Lydi. Jane just asked in case we wanted to." Elizabeth said softly.

Lydia nodded and sniffed.

"I know." Her sister replied quietly.

"I'll tell Jane we're happy with the guesthouse."

"Can we go back to visit Longbourn in the October half term?" Lydia asked.

As Elizabeth looked at her sister, it was evident just how much Lydia was missing their older sister and childhood home and they had only been living with their aunt and uncle for a few weeks now. But she could understand Lydia's feelings because she missed waking up in her childhood home and she missed going to the GP's surgery for work every morning and taking walks around the village and off into the countryside; it had always been so peaceful. And now they were living in the only island city in the UK and starting afresh to allow them both to come to terms with the events that had happened over the past year.

"Of course we can, Lydi." Elizabeth promised.

"And Christmas? What about then?" Lydia asked.

Elizabeth shrugged, she honestly didn't know what Jane had planned to do over the Christmas holidays. Of course, the B&B needed to be open at some point to make some business but in the past, their father had always closed the B&B from Christmas eve through to Boxing day and then resumed business as normal on the twenty-seventh of December. Last year, it had been the first time that Longbourn hadn't been in business at all because of the repairs that were being done on the main house.

"Your dad usually closed Longbourn for the three main days over Christmas, didn't he?" Maddie asked.

"Yes he did. He said that we came first on Christmas, he didn't want to cater for guests when it was a B&B and the only meal that was included in the stay was breakfast. He always said that if he had guests over the Christmas period, he felt that he would have to cook them a Christmas dinner because it would have been cruel for us to eat and his guests go hungry." Elizabeth explained.

"Understandable. Well, how about if Jane comes down to us to stay for a few days over Christmas? It'll just be Ed and me otherwise." Maddie suggested.

"What about Ruby and Oliver?"

"Ruby is still building a school in Africa, she won't be back for another year and has already stated her intention to get her own place to live when she does return. As for Oliver, he is going to the in-laws for Christmas, it's the same every year with him. So you don't need to worry about your cousins."

Elizabeth gave herself a few minutes to think over her aunt's suggestion. It would definitely be good if Jane could spend Christmas with them all but she still didn't know what Jane had planned for Longbourn for Christmas because her sister was only thinking about restarting the business back up again.

"I've agreed to call her tomorrow to let her know about moving back into the main house or not, I'll ask her then about spending Christmas in Portsmouth." Elizabeth replied.

"It would be good if she agreed." Lydia said happily.

"Just remember, she's running Longbourn now so it's her decision what happens." Elizabeth warned, trying to make sure that Lydia didn't get her hopes up.

Lydia nodded that she understood and the two sisters said goodbye to their aunt and headed out for an afternoon out together. Hearing Elizabeth's car start and pull away from outside of the house, Maddie sat down on the sofa and picked up the TV remote, only to be interrupted by the sound of the front door knocking.

Sighing, Maddie placed the TV remote on the sofa and got up, walking to the front door and opened it; only to see the last person she expected to see.

"Maddie, hello. I thought I'd pop by and see how you and my favourite brother were doing."

"Ed is your _only_ brother." Maddie pointed out.

The woman barged her way past Maddie and made herself at home in the Gardiner's living room. Maddie closed the front door behind her, mentally noting to herself that she and Ed would need to have a talk about this later in private. Heading back into the living room, Maddie looked at the woman who was sat on her sofa and didn't know what she was going to do.

"Fran, you can't just show up here unannounced." Maddie scolded.

But Fran didn't care, she waved her left hand and smiled to dismiss the impropriety of making herself at home in someone else's house without being inviting to do so and then used her left hand to tuck a blonde lock behind her ear.

Out of her three nieces, only Jane resembled their mother completely. Naturally straight blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. While Lydia had inherited Fran's blue eyes too, both the other Bennet girls had gotten their wavy brown locks from Thomas.

"So, how have you been since I last saw you both? It must be about three months now, hasn't it?" Fran asked.

"I don't mean to be rude, Fran, but you need to leave." Maddie urged.

But Fran didn't move. She simply frowned.

"You've always had a problem with me, haven't you Madeline? I always told my brother that you would turn him against me, even when my marriage to Thomas broke down and my brother scolded me for my behaviour, I always thought it was you-"

"Why wouldn't I have a problem with you? You left your three children with him and never got back in touch with them like you promised my husband that you would."

"It has nothing to do with you, Maddie." Fran sneered.

"I think you should leave, I'll get Ed to visit you soon." Maddie replied through gritted teeth.

Huffing in frustration, Fran got up from her seat and stormed out of the house. Hearing the front door slam to a close, Maddie sighed and picked up the phone; she had to let Ed know about his sister's unexpected visit.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you to those who reviewed, just thought I'd give a reply to those who did: **

**Ctc:** I'm glad you liked it, I hope you will continue to like what I write each week.

 **Nesciamema:** You'll get a little bit of a POV within this chapter about Georgiana and Laura in London but it will be the next chapter that you'll see what they did exactly get up to.

 **Saralee:** In terms of Mrs. B for this story, I didn't want to change the character too much in the way she always thinks of her own interests ahead of others. There is a lot more to come with Fran in this chapter and further on in the story because eventually, Elizabeth, Lydia and Jane will come face to face with their absent mother. But you're correct, in this story, Elizabeth and Jane are much better for Lydia as they've always been there for her.

 **Lily Draco** : You should be worried for Georgiana, apologies if that makes you feel a little angsty about Georgie. Will is trying his best to adjust to being the parental figure in his little sister's life as well as adjusting to the pressures of being the head of the Darcy business and family. I'm glad you liked the sisterly bonding, there is definitely more close moments to come when it comes to the Bennet girls.

 **Dizzy Lizzy.60:** I loved your comparison of Fran to an ageing starlet, this chapter will see her have a conversation with Ed but it will be later in the story that you readers will get the full explanation behind why she left Thomas and never got in touch with her daughters. I wanted to do something different with Lydia in this story as I have done in NWTS and AC and it's almost like Lydia and Georgiana have done a role reversal but the two teens have gone through the same loss of their only parental figure and over the course of the story you will see the two girls bond. Elizabeth will definitely be there for Lydia when her little sister wants to talk more and get closure over what happened after the death of their father but I won't be revealing that just yet J. As for what Georgie gets up to in London, you'll find out in the next chapter the full extent and her big brother's reaction to it.

 **Hongkongphooey63:** Lydia is carrying a lot of guilt over their father's death and you'll find out just how much guilt she felt when I reveal the full extent of Lydia's trouble from the aftermath of Thomas's death. I'm glad that you like it so far and hope you continue to enjoy each chapter that comes.

Now, enjoy this one.

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

It was the bank holiday weekend and it seemed that Portsmouth was busier than it normally was. Deciding to make the most of their last weekend of the summer holidays, Elizabeth had decided to treat Lydia to tickets for the Victorious music festival that took place on Southsea Common every August bank holiday weekend for the last few years. The festival started on the Thursday and ran through to the Monday. But while Ed was happy that his nieces were enjoying their last week of freedom before settling into their new roles at Rosings, he couldn't say he was particularly looking forward to where he was heading.

It was Friday and he'd rather be spending some time with his wife but his sister needed to be spoken to. The week before he and Maddie had managed to speak about Fran turning up out of the blue but he needed to stop her unexpected visits. Steering the car into an empty parking space, Ed switched off his car engine and unbuckled his seatbelt before getting out of the car and stepping on to the pavement. He sighed heavily as he locked up the car and walked up the front door, knocking three times before the door opened and he came face to face with his sister.

He and Fran had the typical brother and sister relationship, they argued, they disagreed but they were family and he did love his sister; even if she turned up uninvited to his house when he wasn't even aware she was back in the country.

"Edward." Fran greeted coldly.

"Fran, shall I invite myself into your home?" Ed asked.

Not waiting for her answer, Ed walked past his sister and into the kitchen; picking up the kettle and turning on the tap to put some water in it. He heard the front door close and Fran enter the kitchen behind him. Turning off the tap and placing the kettle back on its stand, he pressed the boil button and turned to face his sister.

"You have some nerve turning up here after that wife of yours was rude to me. Has Maddie sent you on her behalf to apologise to me?" Fran asked dramatically.

Ed rolled his eyes. One of Fran's many flaws was her selfishness and absolute refusal to see any situation than from her own point of view.

"No, I didn't come here to apologise. Fran, I came here to tell you that you if you want to come to my house then you need to call me first." Ed replied.

"Oh so now I need permission to visit my own brother!" Fran shrieked.

"Firstly, it's rude to turn up unannounced, Maddie and I may have had plans. Secondly, there's a good reason why I'm asking you to call me first before you plan to visit." Ed sighed.

The kettle finished boiling, with the boil button clicking and Ed made them both a cup of tea and then the siblings went into Fran's living room.

"I didn't know that you were back in the country." Ed stated.

Fran tutted, taking a mouthful of her tea before setting the mug down on the coffee table.

"Peter wanted to come back early, his daughter was missing him."

"Fran, can you honestly not see how inappropriate it is to turn up unannounced? We thought you were still away with Peter, and then your last visit was three months ago. Then before that visit you spent the past year and a half in Dubai with him. So much has gone on and you never bothered to get in touch, no postcard, no emails, no phone calls." Ed scolded.

"Okay Ed, I get your point." Fran grumbled.

"Now, there's something else that you need to know."

Fran rolled her eyes but met her brother's gaze and raised an eyebrow as she waited impatiently.

"I tried getting in touch with you but I each time I tried, I couldn't. But Maddie and I have agreed that it's time you knew-"

"Knew what?"

"It's about Thomas-"

"My ex-husband? What about him?" Fran asked, with a hint of annoyance.

Ed's face softened and he took hold of her hand.

"Thomas died last July."

Fran's eyes widened slightly.

"He…he's…he's dead?" Fran asked, slightly shocked.

Ed nodded, "There was a fire at Longbourn and Thomas ran back into the house thinking that Lydia was still inside and he inhaled too much smoke." He explained.

"And the girls?"

"They weren't hurt; Lydia wasn't even home. But Thomas died in hospital, there was nothing that they could do. Initially, they thought he was going to get better but he wasn't observed closely enough and he passed away."

Fran retracted her hand from her brother's and stood, walking around the room in silence for a few minutes before turning back to face her brother.

"And why would you tell me? Thomas and I divorced fourteen years ago."

"Because he was still your husband for twelve years, Fran, that means something."

"It doesn't. I walked out on him remember?"

"That's true. But another reason why Maddie and I want you to call before a visit is because Lydia and Elizabeth are staying with us for a while." Ed said.

"My daughters are living with you?" Fran asked.

"Yes. Lydia needed a change of scenery, a new start because she got into some trouble. Elizabeth and Jane did try some counselling with Lydia back in April after they discovered the depth of trouble that Lydia was in and the aftermath of that trouble also brought on more trouble for Lydia, she had to drop out of her school. Elizabeth and Jane called Maddie and I in June and we all agreed that a new start for Lydia is what she needed." Ed explained.

"Well…what kind of trouble?" Fran questioned.

As Ed explained what his nieces had been through since their father's death, Fran continued to walk around the room; trying to process what she was being told. Ed watched his sister's actions, hoping that she was listening to what he was telling her.

"I have to agree, from the sound of it they have had a tough year." Fran muttered.

"They don't know that I'm in contact with you, and Maddie and I have agreed that they aren't ready to know that you live in Port Solent. We need to let them adjust to this new life, let Lizzy get settled in as the nurse at Rosings and Lydia settled in as a student. When things are more settled and the time is right, then we'll tell them that you're in Portsmouth." Ed explained.

The air between them was tense and silent before Fran said the words that Ed didn't expect to hear.

"I don't want them to know."

Ed frowned in surprise.

"What do you mean, you don't want them to know?" he questioned.

"They don't need to know that I live here, they don't need to know that you see me from time to time." Fran said quietly.

"Hang on a minute-"

"No, Ed," Fran interrupted, "They had a much better life without me and I haven't seen them in fourteen years, they don't need a mother right now. They don't need a mother at all."

"Whatever you might feel about the situation, Fran, you still owe them an explanation as to why you just left them. Elizabeth and Jane were getting to an age where they could have used a mother's influence and shoulder but you left them to fend for themselves. As for Lydia, she was barely walking when you left and she's always had to rely on her sisters and her father."

"They don't need me. Don't tell them anything about me." Fran pleaded desperately.

Ed stood from his seat, slamming his mug down on to the table angrily. He had at least thought that Fran would agree to give her daughters some space and time to adjust to living in Portsmouth before they were informed of their mother's presence in the city but to hear his sister refuse to even give his nieces an explanation as to why she left, made him angry.

"I've never known a more selfish person, Francine." Ed growled.

"Ed-"

"I get that you were in a low place, that your life wasn't going the way that you wanted it to go but that's life. Life doesn't always go the way you want and you either do something to change it for the better or come to terms with it. You had three beautiful girls who needed their mother and you just abandoned them." Ed shouted.

"I wasn't happy, Edward! We've been through this. Thomas couldn't give me what I craved, what I needed."

"That was Thomas, the girls were blameless for what happened in your marriage."

"I think you should leave." Fran shrieked at the top of her lungs.

Sighing heavily, Ed left Fran's house without saying goodbye to his sister. He had hoped that she would eventually want to come face to face with her daughters again but he had been wrong, Fran never thought about anyone but herself.

ooOoo

After spending Friday and Saturday at Victorious, Elizabeth had been looking forward to a much quieter Sunday. She and Lydia had spent the morning painting each other's nails whilst listening to the music channels. Maddie and Ed had gone out for breakfast and when they had returned back to the house, they announced that Ed would be taking them to Toby Carvery for a Sunday Roast.

The rest of the afternoon had gone by quite quickly. She ate a light sandwich for lunch and took Trip for a short walk with Lydia before they returned to the house. The family then got into Ed's car and made the short journey to Toby Carvery, parking up the car and walking into the restaurant.

The restaurant was quite busy for a Sunday, there was a thirty-minute wait on a table. Maddie went to the bar to get them all something to drink for the four of them whilst Ed, Elizabeth and Lydia heading outside with their table pager and sat on one of the picnic benches.

"So, four more days until you both start at Rosings, how do you feel?" Ed asked.

"Nervous." Both sisters replied in unison.

"Lydia, there is something I thought I'd tell you ahead of receiving your schedule. I've arranged for you to have a session with the school counsellor once a week." Ed informed.

Lydia's eyes widened.

"Is that really necessary?" Lydia asked.

"I think it is." Elizabeth said.

"And how long have you known about this?"

"Only a few days."

"Lizzy and I discussed the idea. It's a big change, starting over in a new school, in a new city and after the tough year you've had, the counsellor just wants to make sure that you're settling in well. Making friends, talking about any problems or issues that you may have." Ed explained.

Lydia sighed heavily but nodded her agreement that a counselling session once a week might be good for her in the beginning of starting at Rosings Park.

"Ah, Edward, I thought that was you!" a man called to them.

Elizabeth and Lydia turned around to see a man, a teenage boy and a woman walking towards them. The man who had called out to her uncle only looked a few years older than her, his light brown hair was long on the top and the bottom half shaved. His blue eyes sparkled when he stopped in front of them and he had a wide, charming smile.

"Hello George, how are things?" Ed asked.

"Could be better, I've had my hours cut at the gym." The man replied, his smile fading.

"That's a shame."

"Still at Rosings, Ed?"

Ed chuckled and nodded, "I'll be there until retirement most likely. How are you enjoying your summer Dennis?"

The teenage boy mumbled something about his summer being okay and sat down on a bench next to theirs.

"George, these are my nieces Elizabeth and Lydia Bennet. Elizabeth starts at Rosings next month as the school nurse and Lydia has a place there in year eleven. Girls, this is George Wickham, his mother Harriet and his brother Dennis. George used to teach P.E and Dennis is in your year Lydia." Ed introduced.

"Lovely to meet you all." George smiled, catching Elizabeth's gaze.

"You used to teach, is that right?" Elizabeth asked.

George nodded.

"Just going to help Maddie with the drinks." Ed said, getting up from his seat and heading back inside the restaurant.

"I left Rosings five years ago, I do miss it from time to time but due to a rivalry with the son of one of the school governors, I had no choice but to leave." George sighed.

Elizabeth frowned.

"A rivalry?" she asked, slightly confused.

George sat down in Ed's empty seat and nodded. Lydia was checking her Facebook app on her smartphone, leaving the two of them to talk.

"It's quite a horrible story really, but I was friends with a man named William Darcy. We were friends since childhood, we even attended Rosings in our teenage years. After we finished sixth form, we went our separate ways and at the age of nineteen I met a woman who I fell deeply in love with. To cut a long story short, I proposed and we booked the wedding. Everything was arranged, down to the person I asked to be my best man."

"William Darcy?" Elizabeth asked.

George nodded.

"Correct. Well the day of the wedding came about and the love of my life looked more beautiful than I had ever seen her. We got to the part where we were asked if we knew of anything that could prevent us from getting married and she confessed it all. She confessed that she couldn't marry me because it had been a setup the whole time with the man I had always considered my best friend."

"A setup?"

"I wasn't always…. sociable, I suppose you could say. Darcy met with this woman and paid her quite a lot of money to get me to come out of my shell, to become more confident and to give me a little more experience when it came to women," George explained sadly, "I really loved her and everything that we had, had been a lie the whole time."

"That's…that's just…cruel." Elizabeth stammered in shock.

George nodded his agreement.

"And the aftermath of that saw me lose the woman that I loved, I had to move back home with my mother and brother and because Darcy's father was a school governor and his aunt is the headmistress, I had no choice but to leave the last thing I loved; my teaching position. So now, I work on minimum wage at a gym to make ends meet; all the while living in my childhood bedroom at my mother's house."

Elizabeth took in George's tale of the cruelty he had suffered because of William Darcy and concluded that he was, indeed, a selfish, rude and horrible human being who picked on those who were nothing but good natured. She couldn't believe that someone would do that to another person and it made her feel more angry and hateful towards the man who had, only a few weeks ago, called her plain and a gold digger.

"I can't believe that someone who you had once called your friend would do something like this to you. I've only met him on two occasions and considered him to be rude and snobbish, but this just proves how much of a horrible character he is!" Elizabeth said angrily.

George smiled sadly.

"Don't feel badly for me, Elizabeth. Not all things in my life are bad."

"Just because not all things are bad for you, it still doesn't excuse his behaviour towards you. You lost everything because of that man!"

"But I still have a mother and brother who I love and who love me and I'm still interested in sport and physical activity, I'm just in a different job prospect within that field. And I'm still on good terms with old colleagues like your uncle." George smiled.

"How can you be so positive?" Elizabeth asked.

George shrugged.

"I guess I've just learned to let it go, to some extent anyway." He replied.

There was a brief moment between them where the conversation ceased and they saw Elizabeth's aunt and uncle walk back to the table; chatting to George's mother. Just as Elizabeth looked back at George, the table pager started vibrating on top of the table; indicating that the Gardiner table was ready for them.

"It was nice talking to you." Elizabeth smiled.

"Likewise. You seem like a lovely woman, Elizabeth. Would it be too hasty if I asked for your number?" George asked.

Elizabeth blushed slightly but nodded, handing him her phone so he could type in his mobile phone number as he passed his over to her to do the same.

"Tables ready." Lydia informed their aunt and uncle.

Handing back George his phone and accepting hers back, she said goodbye to George and followed her sister, aunt and uncle back inside the restaurant, feeling slightly giddy as she saw a text message from George telling her that he couldn't wait to take her out, if that was what she wanted.

Joining the queue to pick out what she wanted from the carvery, she texted him back that she would like to go out with him, that she wanted to get to know him better because he seemed like a nice guy.

 _Where shall I pick you up? What day, time? G x_

 _How about the second Tuesday night in September around 7? I'm staying with my uncle; do you need the address? E._

 _Tuesday at 7 is great! And I know where Ed lives, see you then. G x_

Putting her phone back inside her jeans pocket, she smiled happily that she had a date. It wasn't something that she usually did, all her past relationships she had known them for a little while before agreeing to a date which then developed into a relationship. But she figured that moving to Portsmouth was a new start for her and Lydia so there it wouldn't do any harm in trying something new when it came to her dating approach, could it?

ooOoo

The music was playing at almost full blast in the living room, makeup was cluttering up the floor around where two girls were sitting and a pair of curling tongs were heating up on the heatproof pad on the coffee table. Georgiana finished applying a thick layer of mascara on to her eyelashes as Laura picked up the hot curling tongs and began to curl strands of her newly dyed, blonde hair.

"I'm so jealous of your natural curls, Gee." Laura complained, holding the tongs as tight as she could for a few seconds before unwinding the strand of hair and letting it go.

"It's a nightmare to brush through sometimes." Georgiana muttered.

Laura picked up the half full bottle of flavoured vodka with her free hand and took a swig from it before handing it over to Georgiana.

"Drink up, we're supposed to be having a good time." Laura giggled.

Georgiana took the bottle from her best friend and copied Laura's actions by taking a swig, swallowing the strong alcohol before placing the bottle on the floor next to her. It had been surprising for Georgiana just how their plans to have a good time had gone. They had packed their bags on Friday night and had gotten a good night of sleep before Will had taken them both to the train station. Laura had managed to hide her sister's ID and went to her local newsagents and had bought two bottles of flavoured vodka for the two of them to share whilst they were getting ready for the show.

"What time is the car coming?" Laura asked, continuing to curl her hair tightly.

"In an hour." Georgiana replied happily.

Finishing with the curling tongs, Laura switched them off and applied the finishing touches to her makeup as Georgiana took a large mouthful of the flavoured vodka, causing Laura to giggle when she tried to stand up to put her heels on when she toppled on to the sofa, feeling rather lightheaded and giddy from drinking.

Georgiana put on her heels as Laura finished her makeup and watched as her best friend continued to drink the flavoured vodka and dance about to the song playing on her mobile phone. She didn't feel that great, her head was spinning and she felt a little sick.

"Laur, I don't feel so…" Georgiana said weakly.

But Laura simply laughed and pulled Georgiana to her feet.

"Come on Gee…" Laura giggled merrily.

But before the two girls could do anything, there was a knock on the door. Laura let go of Georgiana's hand and stumbled into the hallway, laughing like mad as she opened the door to the driver of the car that Richard had arranged to take them to and from the Hammersmith Apollo.

"Come on Gee, time to go." Laura sang.

Picking up her clutch bag that contained her phone, keys and purse, Georgiana slowly walked (holding on to the furniture in the hallway) and locked up the house with some difficulty before getting pulled into the car by her best friend.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** I know most of you were probably not expecting to see another post to AHK and if you've read about what happened with Autumn Changes, please know that I'm still angry about the situation and have asked the person to remove their copy. They have apologised to me and asked me how to remove said story but so far they have changed their penname and kept the story up, I have made enquiries into further action against this person and that is currently in progress. Therefore, if you want to read Autumn Changes, you have until 30th December to re-read before I remove it, but I will be keeping the first three chapters of the story on this site as proof of original posting to maintain that I am the owner, this also goes for my other long chaptered stories. I have also signed up for membership at Beyond Austen under the same penname that I use for this site, but I am currently waiting for the admin to reply before I can post anything on the site.

In regards to AHK, I want to keep writing and I promised a chapter each week. So, until I get a reply from the admins over at the other site, I will keep posting AHK on this site. But once it's completed, I will be removing it after a set time period.o

I want to say a massive thank you to all of those who have supported me through this experience, it truly means a lot to me that you have stuck by me through this. Your kind words touched me when I was in a low place.

Now, here's the chapter you've been waiting for.

 **Chapter Seven**

"Will! What do you think you're doing, barging into my room without knocking?! I could have been changing!" Georgiana shrieked.

"Well you weren't because you were dressed in your uniform as I went out for a run early this morning." Will snapped.

"It's the principle! What do you want?" Georgiana demanded.

"I've just had a very interesting conversation with Richard." Will stated.

He saw the look of terror form on his sister's face which meant that she already knew what he and Richard had spoken about on the phone. He knew that look, he had had that look plenty of times when he was a teenager and it usually involved him being in trouble for something very serious with his parents.

It was the 'Oh shit! He knows!" look.

"Will…I can explain…"

"So you can explain to me that I trusted my fifteen-year-old sister and her best friend to travel and spend the weekend in London alone to go to a comedian's show, only to find out you got dressed up, got drunk, went to this show and picked up two random men in their early twenties and brought them back to our house?" Will asked.

Georgiana gulped before she looked down at her feet in shame.

"And then can you explain to me that you allowed these men to buy even more alcohol, consume it with you and then let one of them take Laura upstairs whilst the other remained downstairs with you, doing things with you that he shouldn't have done BECAUSE YOU'RE FIFTEEN FUCKING YEARS OLD!" Will said, shouting the last few words because he was majorly pissed off with his little sister.

"Will, nothing happened between me and him-"

"You're too young for that shit Georgie! You're fifteen, you're still a kid. You let some guy kiss you and try groping you while you were under the influence of alcohol. You never do that. You could have been in serious trouble, Gee. Thank fuck Richard walked in and put a stop to it!" Will snapped.

"I'm not a kid any more-"

"You are a fucking kid! If you think that getting drunk under the age of eighteen and pretending to be older than you are and picking up guys who are too old for you when you're under the age of sexual consent is the grown-up thing to do, then you really are still a kid!"

"I just-"

"Just what? What if Richard hadn't walked in and put a stop to it? You could have been raped, and those guys could have had their lives ruined because of your stupid and reckless behaviour, they could have been charged and sent to prison for statutory rape, even if they didn't know how old you really were." Will scolded her.

She looked up at him, a look of fury on her face.

"And don't tell me that you weren't doing things like this at my age!" Georgiana retorted.

"I was and I know better now but I never took advantage of a girl who had too much to drink and was under the age of sexual consent. I thought you were sensible Georgie, I thought you knew better than to do something like this, you could have been hurt." Will said, disappointment present in his tone of voice.

"Will, it won't happen again." Georgiana said quickly.

"Too right it won't happen again, as from this moment you're grounded." Will stated.

"WHAT!"

"Not just because of your idiotic behaviour over the weekend but because Alice found my missing mobile phone and that the landline had been pulled out of the phone socket to prevent Richard from calling the house. He didn't want to email me you see and he's too busy with TPA to travel from London to tell me face to face."

"But-"

"No 'buts' about it Georgiana. From now on, Alice or I will take you to and from school. You will stay in except for school. You can only have friends over if it's related to school work. Hand over your phone and house keys." Will demanded.

Huffing in frustration, Georgiana said nothing to protest but handed over her house keys and mobile phone to her brother.

"Finish getting ready, I want you downstairs in ten minutes so I can drive you to school."

"I liked you better when you were just my brother." Georgiana hissed.

Will felt that sting and he wasn't sure why it hurt that much, right now he would have preferred to just be her brother instead of her brother and parental figure in one person. He left her bedroom and went downstairs, sitting at the kitchen table.

"I assume she didn't take the being grounded very well." Alice said quietly.

Will shook his head.

"No, she didn't. I think she hates me right about now."

"She doesn't hate you, she's just a teenage girl saying things she doesn't mean because she knows that they'll hurt you."

"I never believed that she could do something so reckless like that. No wonder she tried to prevent me from finding out." Will sighed.

"I think there's more to it than that, did you let her explain?" Alice asked.

"Not really, I just shouted at her and punished her." Will replied.

"You should let her explain the night from her point of view. That friend of hers has always had a little too much influence over Georgiana." Alice stated.

"Laura's really been there for her a lot since dad died, I don't want to take away her friendships."

"I understand, Fitzwilliam. But that Laura Annesley has always been a wild one, and while she never landed Georgiana in any serious trouble until now, all those little things that your father told Georgiana off for were usually down to Laura's influence over your sister."

"You think that everything that happened that weekend was down to Laura Annesley?" William asked.

Alice shrugged.

"It's a possibility. Georgiana has never expressed much interest in alcohol and partying before now, she always was a sensible girl until recently."

"I'll have a word with Laura's parents later today, see if they know anything."

"That would be an idea, find out if they know anything about it." Alice sighed.

They heard the stomping of footsteps down the stairs and seconds later, a furious and sulky Georgiana appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"Are you taking me to school or what?" Georgiana snapped.

"I'll see you later, Alice." Will muttered.

"Have a good day, both of you." Alice said cheerily.

Georgiana rolled her eyes and stormed out of the house as Will followed her. It wasn't exactly the way that Will had wanted his sister to start her last year of secondary school; being grounded for wild behaviour and breaking his trust, but he needed to give her some punishment. As he buckled up his seatbelt and started the engine, he pulled out of the driveway and started the journey to Rosings, all the while his sister refused to speak one word to him.

ooOoo

Elizabeth and Lydia stood outside the main entrance to Rosings Park, looking up at the grand building and felt their hearts beating nervously. Looking to Lydia, she knew that her own nerves were nothing compared to her sister's.

"You'll both be fine, girls." Ed assured them.

"I'm dressed in a blue checked, pleated skirt with matching tie, a shirt that feels like cardboard and a blazer and jumper that's too thick. I already feel like I'm being suffocated." Lydia sighed.

"Nurse's tunic and scrub trousers to match." Elizabeth laughed, pointing out her own uniform that she was wearing.

"We look like a right pair of idiots standing outside a place that we don't belong." Lydia complained.

"Don't be silly, you'll be fine." Ed chuckled.

The three of them walked into the reception and sat down until Elizabeth and Ed stood when Catherine came over to them. Lydia stood up nervously and by the way that her sister looked at the head teacher, Elizabeth could already tell that Lydia would be keeping her head down and not be getting into any trouble.

"You must be Lydia Bennet." Catherine stated, eyeing Lydia up and down.

Lydia nodded, but didn't say anything in reply.

"She's just a little nervous." Elizabeth explained quietly.

"Mmmm," Catherine hummed.

Lydia went with Catherine to the administration office and picked up her diary and map of the school before meeting Elizabeth and Ed back in the reception. Catherine explained to Lydia how the school day was set out, with three lessons lasting forty-five minutes before a fifteen-minute break at eleven o'clock. After the first break, Lydia would have two more forty-five minute lessons before her fifteen-minute tutor session and then a half an hour lunch break at one in the afternoon. Lydia's school day would end with the last two lessons, each forty-five minutes long and she would finish at three o'clock.

"I've paired you with a student that I think you'll get on well with, she's an excellent student and she's in your tutor group. Her name is Georgiana Darcy; she'll look after you for the first two weeks of term." Catherine informed Lydia.

"That sounds okay." Lydia said positively.

"Here she is now." Catherine said brightly.

Elizabeth and Lydia looked in the direction of a blonde, curly haired student came walking into reception; followed by a rather angry looking older man with the same shade of brown eyes as the teenage girl.

 _William Darcy!_ Elizabeth said to herself, feeling bitter towards the man as she recalled the story that George had told her on Sunday.

"Ah, Georgiana, you're here." Catherine greeted.

"Here like you asked me to be." Georgiana replied.

"This is Lydia Bennet, the girl you'll be showing around Rosings for the next two weeks." Catherine introduced.

Lydia and Georgiana shared a brief smile before the bell rang, indicating the first lesson of the day was about to start.

"First lesson I've got is triple English, how about you?" Georgiana asked.

Lydia looked at her schedule.

"Same, triple English with a Miss Lucas." Lydia replied.

"Off to English with you both." Catherine dismissed in a harsh tone.

As the two girls went to head off, William Darcy pulled on Georgiana's arm, turning her around to face him. Elizabeth couldn't help but notice that Georgiana looked rather furious.

"We'll finish our little chat later, you're still in deep trouble young lady!" William Darcy growled.

Elizabeth watched as Georgiana yanked her arm out of his grip and rolled her eyes, giving him a simple wave as she led Lydia off down the corridor.

"Miss Bennet, come with me, I'll lead the way to the medical room but this is the one and only time that I'll show you." Catherine instructed.

Elizabeth turned to her uncle, giving him a quick smile before he went off to his classroom whilst she turned to follow her new boss to her medical room.

"Catherine, can I have a quick talk with you?" William asked.

"Wait for me here Fitzwilliam, I shall be back in a moment."

Elizabeth met his gaze, wondering how a man could be so cruel. Just from her own two experiences of him being unpleasant, hearing George's story of the treatment he had suffered at this man's hands and the girl, Georgiana must have had some connection with William as they shared the same last name, well she clearly had some issue with him as well, it made her think he must be a cold-hearted bastard.

"Miss Bennet." He greeted her curtly, with a stiff nod of the head.

"Mr. Darcy." She greeted back coldly.

Following her new boss in the opposite corridor to the one that her uncle, sister and Georgiana had disappeared down, Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief that she was no longer in the company of a man she was beginning to dislike.

ooOoo

Lydia thought that triple English was going to be the death of her. She loved English, she loved writing and she loved it when in her old school her English class would spend one term reading a book and her last term of year ten in her old school had been spent studying Of Mice and Men and learning about the different themes and the time period it was set in. But starting year eleven and being introduced to some of her peers in the same English class, Miss Lucas had then informed them that up until they broke up for the Christmas holidays in December, they would be studying Shakespeare and that had made Lydia slump down in her chair in disappointment.

At her old school, pretty much throughout when she started her GCSE courses in year nine, she had studied MacBeth, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer's Night Dream and Othello. At least she wouldn't have to repeat any of those as Miss Lucas had announced that the play they would be studying and looking at this term was Hamlet. Most of the class seemed enthusiastic about learning Shakespeare but when she had also done a production in her GCSE drama class of Romeo and Juliet in year nine, it got a little boring for Lydia.

After triple English, she had been invited to hang out with Georgiana and her friendship group in the school grounds and noticed that Georgiana's friendship group liked to watch a group of boys play football on the very small playground. As far as first impressions went, she quite liked the Bartholomew twins. Mary was quiet and bookish, sitting on their picnic bench most of the break reading a book by George RR Martin but voiced her opinion quite loudly when she wanted to. Kit Bartholomew was the complete opposite to Mary, she was boy crazy and wanted to ditch the rest of the school day to go shopping in Commercial Road but in looks, the twins were the same with short, shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes to match.

It was the other girl that she was slightly wary of. Laura Annesley didn't give her a friendly first impression. For starters, Lydia could tell that Laura was one of those girls that were to be avoided unless you wanted your eyes scratched out if you so much as looked at her with the wrong facial expression. Even in school uniform, Laura looked at bit tarty; her skirt rolled up at the top to make it appear shorter so that her thighs were more exposed and the school socks that all girls were required to wear had been removed. Laura had discarded her school jumper and placed it into her school bag, which left her tie to be undone a little loosely and the first three buttons on her shirt to be undone. And then she had plastered her face in the brightest tone of orange foundation and blusher that Lydia had ever seen, had clearly applied on fake eyelashes that morning or the night before and wore glitter eyeshadow on her eyelids whilst her badly dyed blonde hair fell in loose curls around her shoulders.

Secondly, it was as if Laura Annesley wanted the whole world to know that she was one of the more 'experienced' girls. Most of their first break, Laura had spent it cheering on a particular boy who scored goal after goal in the little football match that was going on and shouted that she would be more than willing to give him a rub down if he wanted it. Kit agreed with Laura, saying that this boy was the most gorgeous, most talented boy in the entire school.

Georgiana remained quiet most of the fifteen minutes. Lydia noticed how the conversation had turned to how the group of friends had spent their summer holidays and how talk had eventually turned to how each girl had spent time with their parents or in Laura's case; how she had been avoiding her parents. Noticing that Georgiana's expression turned to a pained one, Lydia knew instantly that Georgiana was feeling the same pain that she still felt, the heartbreaking, stabbing in the gut, feel like sobbing but wanting to stay strong pain that you could only feel if you lose a close loved one. But it wasn't her place to ask Georgiana about it, she had only just met the girl that morning and didn't want to intrude or but in when she didn't really know her. So far, she liked the girl's friendly nature and she seemed nice to talk to and she hoped that she and Georgiana might become friends after a couple of weeks.

It was about five minutes before the bell rang for fourth period that Georgiana informed her that she had her piano lesson with Miss King whereas Lydia had drama with Miss de Bourgh.

"It's in the performing arts corridor, a few rooms down from mine so I can show you the way if you want and wait for you when fourth period finishes?" Georgiana suggested.

"If you wouldn't mind, I have a single lesson of IT with Mr. Bingley in fifth period and then double P.E with Miss Long after lunch." Lydia replied.

"It's no trouble, I'm pretty much in the same areas or classes as you any way. What are your GCSE options?" Georgiana asked.

"Drama, History, Media Studies and Spanish." Lydia replied.

Georgiana smiled.

"I'm doing Italian, History, Media Studies and Music but specialising in Piano."

"Who do you have for History and Media Studies?" Lydia asked.

"Mr. Gardiner for History and Mrs. Baker for Media Studies."

Lydia checked her schedule and saw that she had the same teachers for those subjects as Georgiana did.

"I think you'll be in most of my lessons. I'm yet to have Science, Maths, R.E, and Spanish."

"You'll be in the classroom next door to mine. When is your Spanish class?" Georgiana asked.

"According to my schedule, I have double Spanish for the first two periods on Friday morning and a single lesson of Spanish during seventh period on a Tuesday afternoon."

"Your schedule matches mine then, well Mrs. de Bourgh asked me to be your guide so she must have matched your timetable to match mine-"

"All this talk about lessons is boring me to sleep!" Laura complained.

Georgiana rolled her eyes.

"You'll have drama with Laura and Kit though, as you can see, Laura is a natural in the drama queen department." Georgiana laughed.

The bell rang, indicating the end of first break. The girls gathered up their school bags and got off the picnic bench. Lydia couldn't believe her eyes when she witnessed Laura dive into her schoolbag, open a large strawberry yoghurt and launch it at a boy passing by; laughing as the boy's head was covered in dripping yoghurt.

"Oops, sorry Dennis." Laura yelled sarcastically.

Denny held up his middle finger to Laura, taking his schoolbag off his back and looking inside as if hoping to find some tissue or something in there to clean himself up.

"I suppose I'll have to tell Miss de Bourgh that you won't be in drama." Laura cooed sadly, while Kit laughed over her shoulder.

"Piss off Laura!" Denny shouted.

"Come on girls, let's go." Laura called.

Lydia watched as Laura walked off with Kit and Mary following her whilst Georgiana looked down at Denny sympathetically and gestured to Lydia to hurry up.

"You go on without me." Lydia said.

"Are you sure?"

Lydia nodded, "I'll tell the teacher I got lost." She replied.

Georgiana gave Denny one last, sympathetic look and rushed off to catch up with her friends whilst Lydia remained behind with Denny. The boy's new blazer was ruined and Denny had to take it off and shove it into his bag as Lydia got her makeup wipes out of hers and handed them to the boy.

"It won't help much but it may help with getting some of it out of your hair." Lydia offered.

Denny smiled gratefully and took them from her, starting to get some of the yoghurt out of his hair.

"Is she always that much of a bitch or doesn't she like you for some reason?" she asked.

Denny sighed heavily.

"She's a bitch, you might not want to consider her as a new friend. But she doesn't like me and she reminds me of that every chance that she gets." Denny replied.

"Can I ask why?"

"It's a long story."

"I've got fourth period."

Denny laughed, chucking the used wipes into one of the bins.

"You don't want to miss any lessons; the head teacher would have your head on a spike." Denny explained.

"You're probably right, if I miss one lesson on my first day my sister will skin me alive." Lydia laughed.

"We met at Toby Carvery didn't we?" Denny asked.

Lydia nodded.

"We did, I think we were both sat on Facebook to bother starting up a conversation though." She replied.

"Come on, I'll show you to drama considering we have the same class." Denny said cheerily.

Lydia smiled, packing the makeup wipes back in her back after Denny insisted that he might go to a friend's house to wash his hair and borrow a new shirt at lunch time as the two headed inside the building. She had only been in school for a few hours but she was already making a mental note in her head of who she was going to befriend and who she wasn't.

ooOoo

So far into the school day, Elizabeth had had a not so quiet morning. During first period she familiarised herself with the students on file who kept medication in the locked cupboards, noting the asthmatics, the ones who had to keep a spare allergy pen in school incase theirs ran out, the ones who were prone to migraines and kept occasional pain medication in school. During second period she had been called to the Maths department where a student had thrown up so Elizabeth had to escort the year seven student to the medical room and call his parents to come and collect him. Third period had resulted in two of the sixth form students getting into a fight over something stupid and it had resulted in one of the lads having a broken nose and the other suffering a bang to the head which required her to fill out a report during the fifteen-minute break and calling the sixth formers parents to come and take them to hospital.

Fourth and fifth period were quiet, with one of the year eight students popping in to take some of his inhaler and nobody else popped in after that. She just carried on finishing the report on the injuries and the incident with the sixth formers as she listened the bell ringing every forty-five minutes followed by the two minute sounds of footsteps of students rushing to their next class. During the moments of silence, she wondered how her sister was getting on and whether she had met anyone she liked yet, what lessons she was enjoying.

When the bell rang for lunch time, she sighed happily at the thought she could socialise with some of her colleagues. At the meet and greet, she had chatted and laughed a lot with Charlotte, Aimee and Marie as well as Charles and hoped that she herself could build some friendships like she had been hoping that Lydia would be able to do. Locking up the medical room, she headed to the cafeteria with her bag and joined the staff queue; picking up a packaged sandwich and a bottle of water when she saw Charlotte paying for her lunch.

"Hey, how's the first day going?" Charlotte greeted cheerfully as she pocketed her change.

Paying for her own items, she smiled and walked with Charlotte to the staff room.

"It's been a mixture, I had to send home a student with a stomach bug and then had two sixth form lads beat the crap out of each other so I had to call their parents to come and get them to go to hospital and then filled out a report on the incident." Elizabeth replied.

"Was it that bad?" Charlotte asked.

"One ended up with a broken nose while the other had a bang to the head which may have resulted in concussion, the parents said they'd call me tomorrow morning to let me know how long they'd be off school so I can put it in the system as sick instead of absent." Elizabeth explained.

Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"Boys will be boys, eh?"

Elizabeth nodded in agreement as the two talked about other things, eventually joined by Charles and Aimee as the four discussed good places to have a night out in Portsmouth; with Charlotte suggesting a few of them go to Bar 38 in Gunwharf for some drinks the following Friday.

ooOoo

Fourth period had been the most enjoyable for Lydia. She luckily didn't get into trouble when she told the teacher that she and Denny were late to class because she had gotten lost and Denny had shown her the way after he had learned they were in the same class. They had spent the lesson going over breathing exercises and trust building exercises in which she was partnered with Denny. But during her drama lesson, she could feel Laura and Kit watching her closely with Denny and when she caught them looking on a few occasions, she saw the hideous glare coming from Laura.

After drama, Georgiana met her outside the drama studio and walked her to IT with Kit, Mary and Laura. Mr. Bingley introduced himself as a new teacher who was hoping to join the Rosings staff permanently after his year long course to become a teacher and told them what they would be doing over the first term; learning to make their own database in the school computer programs provided as part of their continuous assessment. When the bell for lunch rang, she and the other girls headed to the cafeteria, with Lydia buying herself a warmed sausage roll and they headed back to the picnic table that they had been sitting at on first break.

"Who wants to go shopping when school finishes?" Laura asked, eating her home-made sandwiches.

"I do; I need to get some new mascara." Kit said enthusiastically.

"Mary?"

"I have to start my essay for extended R.E." Mary said, not looking up from her book.

"Bore. What about you Georgie? I suppose you can come along, Lydia." Laura said, distastefully.

"I can't. My cousin called Will this morning and told him what happened on the Bank Holiday weekend and so, I'm grounded for the time being." Georgiana sighed.

Laura's eyes widened.

"Shit. Why didn't you tell me first thing this morning, Gee?" Laura whined.

"I was a bit busy, and Miss Lucas made you sit on the other side of the classroom so I couldn't pass you a note!" Georgiana replied.

"Is he going to tell my parents?" Laura asked, desperately.

Georgiana shrugged.

"He didn't say. He told me I could only have friends over if it's school related, that he'd be taking me too and from school and we'd finish talking when we get home."

"Some best friend you are Gee! I could be in some serious shit and I won't even know until I walk through the front door!" Laura complained grumpily.

Lydia looked and noticed the guilty look on Georgiana's face and then looked back to Laura who was now giving Georgiana the cold shoulder.

"I would come shopping but I have plans with my sister tonight." Lydia said, turning down Laura's oh so generous invitation.

"Yeah, whatever." Laura muttered.

The rest of lunch went quickly and quietly. She saw Denny with a group of his friends by the entrance to the boy's gym and gave him a small wave, to which he smiled and waved back and this failed to go unnoticed by Laura.

"So I saw you in drama, you were getting quite friendly with Dennis Wickham during those exercises." Laura said in an accusatory tone.

"I barely know the boy but he seems quite nice." Lydia said defensively.

Laura rolled her eyes and snorted.

"Pleeeassee," she sang, still in that accusatory tone, "You fancy him don't you? You think you're going to ask him out but you won't be in our friendship group if you do!"

Lydia raised an eyebrow.

"Quite frankly, even if I were to ask him out, it's A) none of your business and B) not up to you to decide who I can and can't be friends with." Lydia shot back.

"If you want to be friends with us it is. You can't go out with Dennis because he had a thing for Georgie." Laura informed them.

Lydia looked at Georgiana who looked quite hurt and was shoving her iPod earphones into her ears to avoid hearing or taking part in the argumentative conversation.

"Were they a couple?" Lydia asked.

"They might have been, until Denny and I were cast as the leads in the school production of West Side Story. You see, Denny couldn't keep his hands off me, we spent some private time together behind the stage in the main hall during our one on one rehearsals." Laura informed her, a smug look on her face.

Lydia instantly felt disgusted that this horrible, nasty piece of work that called herself Georgiana's best friend would sleep with a guy that could have been Georgiana's boyfriend. Clearly there were feelings involved between Georgiana and Denny and although she didn't know the whole story and there was obviously a lot more to it, she concluded that Laura had ended up keeping her friendship with Georgiana and Denny had been made an outcast by Laura.

"So if you want to keep hanging out with us and being friends with us, then you'll stay away from Dennis Wickham." Laura threatened.

"I don't respond well to someone trying to control my actions." Lydia warned.

Laura rolled her eyes.

"As if someone like you could even do any harm to someone like me!"

When the bell rang to indicate the time for sixth period, Lydia picked up her schoolbag and headed towards the girl's gym as the rest of the students filed into the various exits to go to their next classes.

ooOoo

When the bell rang for three o'clock, Elizabeth sighed in relief that she could go home after her first day of work. In her contract it stated that on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays she was required to stay behind by fifteen minutes in case of an emergency or student falling ill as the students filed out of the school to head home for the day and on Wednesdays, because the school day finished at one o'clock instead of three o'clock.

She could see from the open door the students pass by and head towards reception for the exit. But no student came in because of a medical emergency and at ten past three, when most of the students had already exited the school, Lydia and Georgiana stood in the doorway to the medical room.

"Hey." Lydia greeted brightly.

Elizabeth smiled, grabbing her bag from her office before locking the office door and then locking up the medical room.

"How was your day?" Elizabeth asked.

"Long!" Lydia said in an exhausted tone.

"I don't miss my school days much." Elizabeth laughed.

"This is Georgiana, my tour guide. Georgiana, my sister Lizzy, she's the new nurse." Lydia introduced.

Elizabeth shook hands with Georgiana and the three of them walked towards the reception to exit through the main entrance to the school.

"Thank you for showing Lydia around." Elizabeth thanked.

"It's no trouble," Georgiana smiled, "My aunt's had me do it for a few people in the past."

Lydia frowned, "Your aunt?" her sister asked.

Georgiana nodded.

"Mrs. de Bourgh is my mother's sister. Miss de Bourgh, her daughter, is my cousin." Georgiana replied quietly.

"Don't be embarrassed you have teachers that are also relatives. My sister's the nurse and Mr. Gardiner is our uncle." Lydia replied with an encouraging smile.

"At least Mr. Gardiner is a soft teacher, he's not so strict. My relatives are quite strict when it comes to this school." Georgiana complained.

"We can't always pick and choose our relatives." Elizabeth said sympathetically.

Exiting through the main entrance, the three of them stood outside as Georgiana huffed heavily as she saw William Darcy walking towards her; an angry look on his face.

"Speaking of relatives we can't choose…" Georgiana muttered.

William Darcy stopped in front of them, the angry look on his face softening slightly.

"I trust you had a good day?" he asked.

Georgiana nodded.

"I did, made a new friend. Lydia, would you like to come over tomorrow?" Georgiana asked.

But before Lydia could answer, William Darcy looked furious again.

"Georgiana, I told you that you could only have friends over if it's related to school work." He stated harshly.

"It is. We have six weeks to plan a presentation on Hamlet for English and I got partnered with Lydia and because you've decided that I'm grounded, I have to have Lydia come over so we can plan this presentation." Georgiana snapped.

"Fine. But school work only."

Georgiana rolled her eyes and turned to Lydia.

"Do you have any brothers?" Georgiana asked.

Lydia shook her head and laughed.

"Nope. Just Lizzy and another older sister, Jane."

"You're lucky then."

As Georgiana walked away with her brother, Lydia turned to Elizabeth and smiled.

"You know something? She's right, I am lucky to have you and Jane."

The two sisters started the walk back to their aunt and uncle's house, with Uncle Ed having to stay behind for a teaching meeting.

"From the looks of it, William Darcy isn't a pleasant older brother."

Lydia snorted.

"He's the bloke from the shop and from the barbecue isn't he?" she asked.

"So?" Elizabeth asked, feeling a smile form on her face.

"Well ever since you put me in counselling after my rough year, I've become more observant instead of being the one observed and I think there's more to the Darcys than what meets the eye." Lydia replied with a small smile.

Elizabeth wrapped an arm around her little sister's and the two continued to walk home, both swapping stories of their first days at Rosings and concluding that it hadn't been as bad as they thought it might have been.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter. As promised, chapter eight is being posted now and chapter nine will come early next week.

 **Chapter Eight**

It had been three weeks since Lydia and Elizabeth had started their new roles at Rosings. Elizabeth was enjoying her new job, something which she hadn't expected due to her anxiety about taking on a job at a private school but all the kids that she came across in the medical room were quite lovely, a few of them shy and a few a bit loud but overall, they had a good character about them. Lydia was settled into the routine of her class schedule and most of her lessons were with Georgiana and she liked her teachers and the counselling sessions were beginning to help her adjust and accept her new life in Portsmouth.

Lydia had started to build friendships in Georgiana, Mary, Denny and Kit to some extent. On a few days where Laura hadn't been present at school because she came down with glandular fever in the middle of September, Kit seemed like a whole new person. But the one trait that Lydia did pick up on from Kit was the fact that Kit was like a sheep and followed the next person around because she didn't want to be on her own. There had been a few occasions where she had gone down the common to play football with Denny and his friends and had gotten to know a few of the boys that attended her school such as David who was the tallest boy she had ever seen; standing at six foot eight for a sixteen-year-old boy. Then there was Zachary who was Marvel mad and Harrison who had an interest in rock climbing, bungee jumping and canoeing.

When she wasn't hanging out with Denny and the boys, she spent some time at Georgiana's house working on their Hamlet presentation for English; under the watchful eye of her brother Will or the housekeeper Alice Reynolds. When they were under Alice's watch, the atmosphere was a little more relaxed as they could talk about other things as well as the English project. She had learned the reason behind Georgiana being grounded and it was the fact of an incident that had happened during the bank holiday weekend where Laura had bought alcohol with her sister's ID, they had gone to a show and ended up getting even more drunk and doing 'stuff' with boys older than them; until Georgiana's cousin put a stop to it.

"It seems like something stupid in my opinion." Lydia commented.

It was a Tuesday afternoon and the two girls were sat at the kitchen table around Georgiana's house.

"I know that now, at the time it seemed like a good idea." Georgiana sighed.

"But what would make you do something like that? You don't strike me as the type who would usually do something like that." Lydia said quietly.

Georgiana sighed, putting down her copy of Hamlet and looked at her sadly.

"I suppose I'm just trying to keep myself distracted."

"From what?"

Lydia saw the other girl's eyes water and Georgiana blinked a few times and took a few deep breaths.

"My dad passed away in July, I'm now officially an orphan." Georgiana mumbled.

Reaching across the table, Lydia squeezed Georgiana's hand and looked at her with understanding. She felt the same loss, a loss that she was still trying to come to terms with.

"I'm sorry that you lost your parents, I get what you're going through." Lydia replied softly.

"Do you? The others don't have a clue. I've lost my dad; my brother is a stranger to me ever since he died and Laura still isn't talking to me properly because of what happened on the bank holiday weekend. She was the one person who made it easier after he passed away. Every day we'd do something to take my mind off it and distract me from this…emptiness…"

"My dad died last year, in July too. As for my mother, she walked out on us as I was learning how to walk."

Georgiana blinked back her tears and sniffed lightly.

"How did it happen, for your dad?" Georgiana asked.

Lydia gulped, trying to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. Talking about her father's death outside of the family was proving a little too difficult, but she wanted to assure Georgiana that she wasn't alone.

"I snuck out…a friend was having a party and my dad said I couldn't go…so I went anyway…well our B&B caught fire that night…everyone was outside and safe but my dad thought I was still asleep…so he rushed back into the house to get me…he died in hospital from too much smoke inhalation. I thought he was going to get better…we all did…but he didn't…he died in hospital a few days after the fire." Lydia whispered, her voice quivering.

Georgiana squeezed her hand back, causing Lydia to look up from the table and smile sadly.

"Mine died from cancer, he'd had it for three years." Georgiana said quietly.

"It sucks, doesn't it?"

Georgiana gave a watery laugh and nodded her head in agreement.

"It majorly sucks."

Lydia considered telling Georgiana that rebelling and doing things that you shouldn't do wasn't the answer when you had just lost your father but it wasn't the time or place to divulge what she had gotten up to. Instead, she quietly vowed to keep watch over her new friend and ensure that Georgiana didn't get into the same trouble that she had gotten herself into. She decided that the first place to start was to keep an eye on Laura Annesley, there was something about that girl that Lydia didn't like and she had known girls like Laura in Thurston.

When they heard, the front door opening, indicating the return of Alice who had popped to the shop to get some necessities, the girls decided to talk about their experiences of losing a parent and carry on with their Hamlet presentation. Alice returned to the kitchen, observing the two girls as they discussed themes in Hamlet and started writing up notes in their notepads.

As they finished up and Lydia said goodbye to Georgiana to go home, she left the Darcy residence and walked back to her uncle's; trying to think of what was best for Georgiana.

ooOoo

For Elizabeth, she was now settled quite well into her new job and was developing friendships of her own. She had gone to the pub twice on weekends with Charlotte, Charles, Aimee and Marie and was starting to develop her own friendships with each of them, having gone for breakfast one morning with Charlotte and had gone to dinner with Charles and Aimee after school had finished. Then there were the four dates she had been on with George Wickham.

George was perfectly lovely and very eager to see her. Their first date had occurred on the second Tuesday in September and he had taken her to dinner at an all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant called The Water Margin in Gunwharf Quays and they had split the bill. Their second date, just two days later, had been another dinner at an Indian restaurant in Albert Road. Their third date, just a week ago on the Saturday night, had been to have drinks at The Jolly Sailor and the fourth was a walk along Southsea seafront from the end of Eastney to the Hot Walls in Old Portsmouth at sunset. She had learned a little more about his past, with him revealing that his dad had walked out on him and Denny when Denny was born.

But while George was lovely and keen on her while they were in public, it was whenever they had a private moment alone that he got a little forward. She wasn't the type of girl to sleep with someone she was dating straight away and she had told him this, but whenever he kissed her he would kiss her sloppily and try and grope at her bottom or push her dress up a little higher than deemed polite. Each time he tried, she would pull away and slap his hand away, ending with him sighing and looking impatient.

But tonight, their fifth date, he wanted to take her to a live comedian event at The Jolly Sailor. George had paid for the tickets to see some unknown, new teenaged comedian who was just starting out and she was stood in her bedroom trying to decide what to wear when Lydia came into her bedroom.

"Just got back?" Elizabeth asked, turning to face her sister.

Lydia nodded.

"I swear Shakespeare will be the death of me." Her sister laughed.

"How was it at Georgiana's?"

"It was okay; her brother is away in London to sort something out with their business apparently. So we were watched by Alice for the most part. The housekeeper is a little more relaxed than William is."

"He seems strict for a brother." Elizabeth muttered, pulling her best pair of jeans out of the chest of drawers.

"I get the impression he has to be." Lydia replied.

"How so?" Elizabeth asked.

"Because Georgie told me that their dad passed away in July. It's just the two of them." Lydia replied.

Elizabeth froze as she finished placing her jeans next to where Lydia was sat on her bed. She hadn't realised that the Darcy siblings had lost their father recently, she hadn't have guessed it. From the times that she had spoken with Georgiana whenever Lydia came to the medical room after school and the blonde-haired girl had been with her sister, Georgiana always smiled and was polite and didn't look like someone who had lost their father. But as she thought back to the times that she had encountered William Darcy and had dismissed him as cold, rude and snobbish, perhaps she had gotten him wrong. Maybe the times he had been rude and horrible about her were down to him feeling the pressure.

But then she thought about what George had told her, how this man had ruined George's life and was the reason why George was living the way he was currently. If his father had only died recently, what excuse could be given for William's behaviour towards a man he had once called friend?

"I didn't realise that they are experiencing a loss that we are still feeling for the loss of our father." Elizabeth said quietly.

"I know you said that he was rude to you, and those things he said to Mr. Bingley at the meet and greet barbecue were out of order because he doesn't know you, but maybe he's out of his depth? Maybe he's just trying to work out what his life means now that he and Georgiana have lost their only parent and he's adjusting the best he can?" Lydia suggested.

Elizabeth sighed, shrugging her shoulders as she met her little sister's gaze.

"Perhaps. But that doesn't excuse what he did to George."

Lydia rolled her eyes.

"There's something about him Lizzy, I don't think he's a good choice of boyfriend for you."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, George and I have only had four nearly five dates." Elizabeth laughed.

"Still, I don't think he's the right choice for you. I know you like him, he's certainly a charmer on the few times I've spoken to him but Denny told me that his brother is a bit of a womaniser and Denny hasn't ever mentioned anything about his brother having a wedding." Said Lydia.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

"You seem to be spending a lot of time with Denny."

Lydia rolled her eyes again.

"He's just a friend, nothing more. After all that shit I put myself and you and Jane through last year, I think I'll be swearing off boys for an eternity."

Sitting on her bed, Elizabeth patted her sister on the shoulder.

"I think you've learned your lesson, you certainly seem more sensible coming out of all of that." Elizabeth said proudly.

"It's certainly taught me to be a little more perceptive of the people I choose to have in my life. Georgiana seems like she could be a good friend for me, even if I don't like Laura." Lydia sighed.

"I know you think she's a lot like the girls back home."

"She _is_ like those girls back home and to think I thought that they were once my friends. Laura is cruel, she's a total bitch to those she thinks are inferior. Some of the things she does, she shunned Georgie for the fact her parents found out what they both got up to in London because William had a word with them. I think she's a bad influence and Georgie admitted to me that what happened on the Bank Holiday was a distraction from the emptiness that she is feeling."

"All you can do is be there for Georgiana."

"I know and I will be because I don't want what happened to me to happen to her, that isn't the proper way to grieve." Lydia muttered.

"You've come a long way since then. You've accepted responsibility for what you've done, you're getting counselling, you're having a fresh start and you're being sensible in the choices you make with your life and in case I haven't said this to you lately, I'm so proud of you for turning everything around the way you have so far." Elizabeth smiled.

Lydia returned her smile.

"Thanks Lizzy."

There was a slight, happy pause between the two sisters before their conversation took a new direction.

"Do you have plans for the weekend?" Elizabeth asked.

"Denny invited me to the cinema and Kit wants to take me shopping for outfits for a Halloween party Laura is having next month." Lydia replied.

"Do you want to go to the party?" Elizabeth questioned.

Lydia shrugged.

"I don't really like Laura but if I shun her invitation then she'll turn Georgie and the other girls against me. I'd be lying if I said that going to a party where there will most likely be alcohol involved wasn't making me feel nervous." Lydia answered.

"So you're going to go?"

"I suppose, I want to see if my suspicions about Laura and the Bank Holiday weekend are right, if she was the one who instigated all the trouble."

"Maybe I should speak with Laura's parents and see if there will be adult supervision?" Elizabeth suggested.

"If you feel like you have to-"

"I kind of do Lydia. It's not that I don't trust you, I believe you're aware not to touch a drop of alcohol but I want adult supervision at this party to prevent something bad from happening."

"I wouldn't blame you if you didn't trust me." Lydia said quietly.

"Hey, none of that." Elizabeth said quickly.

Lydia gave her sister a small smile.

"I'm fine, honestly. But I wouldn't blame you if you didn't trust me, I did put you and Jane through a lot."

"And yourself but that's in the past. Moving here was to help you get closure, to help you grieve for dad by changing the scenery where you weren't always reminded of the fire."

"I think moving here was the best decision that you made for me. I know it can't be easy for you, having to be my mother as well as my sister." Lydia stated.

"I'm glad that you agree, Jane and I thought it would be best for you. I know it was hard, leaving everything you've always known behind but we only did it for your best interests. As for the being your mum part, it's not easy but I'll always be there for you; whenever you want to talk about something small or big." Elizabeth replied.

Lydia nodded gratefully.

"I did consider telling Georgiana what I got up to after dad died, that her doing wild and reckless stuff isn't the answer to grieving properly." Lydia admitted.

"You didn't I take it?" Elizabeth asked.

Lydia shook her head.

"No, she wouldn't have listened. I think the way she sees it; Laura is helping her by distracting her from feeling empty and lonely instead of talking to someone about how she feels." Her sister replied.

"Well if Laura Annesley is anything like those girls at your old school, she certainly needs to be kept an eye on. Do you want me to talk to Georgiana's brother and address some concerns?"

"Not right now, let me observe and if things get too out of hand, I'll let you know."

"Lydi, it's not your place to save someone else. I know that your judgement of character has changed and you're being more careful when you make friends with someone but I don't want you to get mixed up with girls like Laura again." Elizabeth warned.

"I can't just watch as a new friend makes the same mistakes that I made, I don't want Georgiana to get into the same trouble that I did." Lydia said, her voice breaking slightly.

Elizabeth wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulder and hugged her tightly. While Lydia was adjusting well so far into their new life in Portsmouth, the past year was still taking its toll on her little sister and there was still a lot that Lydia needed to come to terms with.

"How are your counselling sessions going at school? It's confidential so the counsellor will only speak to me if there is a medical reason that I should be involved."

"The sessions are good, she asks me how I'm settling in each week, if I have any problems, if I have any friends. The usual questions. She knows what happened at home, sometimes we talk about that and about dad but I don't feel ready to fully talk about it yet."

"Tell you what, I'll text George and cancel and we'll go to see a film instead?" Elizabeth suggested.

"Don't change your plans for me." Lydia replied.

"You need me a lot more than George does right now."

"But you like him-"

"And you're my sister and are more important to me. It'll be fine, I can rearrange to do something with him at the weekend when you're out with Denny or Kit."

"Are you sure?" Lydia asked.

Elizabeth nodded.

"I think you need some girl time with your big sister." She replied.

"Or my surrogate mother?" Lydia joked.

Elizabeth hit her on the arm gently but smiled. Letting go of Lydia, she pulled out her mobile phone to text George an apology that she had to cancel their date when her sister asked her the question she hadn't expected Lydia to ask.

"Lizzy, did mum ever get in touch?"

Looking up from her phone, Elizabeth shook her head.

"No. She never did and dad never told me why she did leave. Why are you asking?"

"I just think from time to time if she ever did bother, a part of me wants to know why she left us. You and Jane weren't far off starting secondary school and I was just walking, we all needed her in one way or another."

"Sadly Lydi, I don't think we'll ever know. It's been fourteen years; why should she get in touch now?" Elizabeth sighed.

"I know, it's just that I want answers." Lydia replied sadly.

"I wish I could give them to you." Elizabeth said softly.

"Have you ever thought about finding her?"

Elizabeth shook her head. She remembered the morning after the night their mother had walked out on the family, her father had been sat at the kitchen table as the housekeeper was making the guests breakfast. When she had asked what was wrong, her dad looked up and she noticed that he had hardly slept during the night, if he had slept at all and the reply that she got was that their mother had left for good while she, Jane and Lydia had been asleep and that she wasn't coming back.

"What you have to understand Lydia is that I was that much older and while I may not have understood or known why she had left us, I was angry that she did. She was never much of a mother to begin with, before you were born I hardly remember her doing much with me and Jane, it was always dad who took us out on day trips or cooked us our meals or got us ready for bed because she always complained we were too much work. But back then, grandad was still running Longbourn for the most part and we just lived there. Grandad died the year before you were born and dad took over the family business. Looking back on it, I remember that we never did have a good relationship with her anyway but she still had an obligation to us and she chose to ignore it."

"An obligation?"

"All parents have an obligation to be there for their child, to have some form of responsibility for them because they chose to bring them into the world. Granted, most single mums don't have their child's biological father involved because they ignore their obligation to provide for the child, my belief on that subject is that they should wear a condom if they don't want to risk a pregnancy. But when it comes to our mother, she had two children with dad and then a third when I was nine and her obligation was to look after us because she chose to have us but she ignored that because she walked out on us and hasn't bothered since." Elizabeth explained.

"I get it. But you aren't obligated to look after me, she should be the one looking after me." Lydia stated.

"You're my sister and I will _always_ be there for you, no matter what." Elizabeth vowed.

Lydia smiled and with Elizabeth pressing the send button on her text message to George and the two sisters went downstairs to fire up the laptop and choose a film to watch at the cinema.

ooOoo

"I swear, if one more business partner talks about computer hardware and software that they want me to invest in, I will shoot my brains out." Will yawned.

As William slumped down on the sofa, another man laughed poured them both a glass of whiskey. Thanking his cousin, Will took his glass and took a swig before placing the glass on the coffee table.

"TPA is known for its investments in all sorts. It's the reason why you Darcys are so bloody rich." Richard laughed.

"I don't just want TPA to be known for its investments. I mean it's nice that I have shares in the ownership of London's top tourist landmarks and restaurants and we helped design The Shard. As well as some shared ownership in the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth and other things throughout the country but my father wanted to help people less fortunate. He started with providing high end technology to state funded schools around the country as well as donating money to schools who were in serious need of rebuilding but he wanted to help those in third world countries, and that for me, is what I want to do with TPA." William explained.

"I get it Darce, I do and I'm fine with managing TPA daily for the time being, it's what family does when you go through a difficult time." Richard said.

"I just feel out of my depth with everything. I have TPA to worry about, I have a meeting at Rosings next week with the board of governors to discuss the annual school fees, new after school enrichment programs, reviewing the members of staff. Plus, Georgiana has parents evening next week." Will sighed.

"How is Georgie?" Richard asked, taking a swig of his whiskey.

"Ever since you told me about her bank holiday trouble, she's been grounded. She won't talk to me unless it's about school stuff and each time I give her the opportunity to explain, she refuses to talk about it. All she says about it is that it's in the past and we should move on from it. But I have noticed that she's thrown herself into homework where she's not been allowed out, she's made a new friend called Lydia Bennet."

"What's the girl like?"

"She seems quite quiet but when she's around our house doing their English presentation on Hamlet, Lydia Bennet sure knows a lot about Shakespeare."

"So she works hard, perhaps she'll be good for Georgie."

"Perhaps. But I'm beginning to question whether her choice in friends is good judgement or not."

"You have that right to be worried, she's certainly changed over the past few months." Richard noted.

"Do you think I should do a background check on this girl, see if she's got any skeletons?"

Richard laughed lightly.

"Darce, the girl is what, fifteen? If she has got any skeletons, it's probably petty theft from the local corner shop."

"Georgie is grieving, the last thing she needs is to be led astray."

"So are you going to stop your sister from hanging around Laura Annesley?" Richard asked.

"I've already told Laura's parents what happened here on the bank holiday weekend and they've assured me that Laura will be punished and there will be adult supervision at this Halloween party their daughter wants. The difference is that Laura has been Georgie's best friend since they were five and has really been there for her since dad died." Will replied.

"There's a difference between being there for Georgie and distracting Georgie from what's important." Richard pointed out.

"I'm out of my depth with this parenting thing." Will admitted quietly.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, you've only been doing it for two months."

"What would you do, Rich?"

"I honestly don't know, Will. My parents haven't died and I've only got the older brother so I can't imagine myself in your situation."

"Maybe I should try harder, spend more time with her. She's worked hard over the past four weeks at school. Do you think I should let her go to this Halloween party of Laura's?"

"Only if she's not going to get herself into trouble again."

With Richard finishing his whiskey and saying goodnight, Will was left in the living room alone. He kept thinking over what Georgiana had gotten up to over the August bank holiday and his decision to ground Georgiana to keep a close watch on her. But while his sister wasn't really talking to him much, he did see that she was trying to work hard and it seemed like she did regret what she had done.

Picking his laptop up from where it sat down the side of the sofa, Will turned it on and when he was logged in, he fired up the internet and typed the name 'Lydia Bennet' into google. He had guessed that a simple internet search would provide nothing and if he wanted to know a full background check he'd have to talk to his PI Jonathan Hurst.

But google proved to be enough for now. His eyes scanned through the search results, opening up a page from a local village newspaper for a place called Thurston which told him of the death of a Thomas Bennet who had died in a fire and had left behind three daughters: Jane, Elizabeth and Lydia. Then there was a newspaper article that drew his attention, while the teenager couldn't be named for legal reasons, it was stated in the comment section on the article who the teenager in question was. The article made him think that Lydia Bennet had bigger skeletons in her closet than 'petty theft' as his cousin had put it.

After reading the article, he closed the laptop and sighed heavily. What he had read made him think that Lydia Bennet wasn't any good for his sister.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Just a heads up, you aren't going to like Will in this chapter but try not to hate on him too much; he's only trying to do what he thinks is right at that time. All will be revealed soon. Enjoy.

 **Chapter Nine**

While September had remained warm as summer drifted to an end, the drop in temperature became apparent to the citizens of Portsmouth. Lydia was already wearing her winter coat and had resorted to wearing her wellington boots on the way to school and the way home because she was tired of getting fallen leaves covering her school shoes.

It was a Monday morning, and she had spent the weekend going to the cinema with Denny and then shopping with Kit on Sunday. She had never known anyone who liked to shop as much as Kit Bartholomew but during her one-to-one time with Kit on Sunday, she had noticed just how much Kit was herself instead of agreeing with Laura or following the next best person. Kit had pulled her into every single clothes shop in Commercial Road to try on party dresses for Laura's Halloween party at the end of October and in the end, Lydia had bought herself a simple black dress while Kit had bought five from three different clothes shops.

As she walked in through the main entrance, she pulled off her wellies and changed into her school shoes and placing the wellies into her backpack before noticing that Georgiana was walking to the main entrance with her brother behind her.

"Morning Georgie." Lydia greeted.

"Morning Lydia, good weekend?" Georgiana asked.

"Yeah, went to the cinema with Denny and then shopping with Kit yesterday. I've got an outfit for Laura's party."

"Do you want to help me pick mine out? My lovely brother has decided my sentence will end on Friday."

"Sure, we can go on Saturday if you want?"

Georgiana smiled and nodded, bidding her brother goodbye. But before the two girls could head off to their first lessons of the day, William Darcy asked to speak to Lydia in private. Nodding, Lydia followed her friend's brother into one of the little offices just off reception and locked the door.

"Can I ask what this is about?" Lydia asked.

"I was away for the weekend and I've done a lot of reflecting over my sister's current state. She told me that you're aware that our father died recently and despite appearances, I know my sister is trying to deal with it in her own way and she's quite fragile right now." Will replied.

"I understand." Lydia replied, slightly confused.

"I know you do. But the incident with Laura over the bank holiday weekend has opened my eyes that Georgie needs to be kept on the straight and narrow, she doesn't need to get into that kind of trouble again."

Lydia frowned, taking a guess at where this conversation was leading.

"And you believe that the new kid at school is a trouble maker and could lead Georgie down a dark path?" she guessed.

Will nodded.

"I know about the court case you're going to be a part of soon and I know, to some extent, the trouble you and that man got into." He said quietly.

Lydia's eyes widened.

"That wasn't entirely my fault-"

"I don't want you to try and sway my decision, but my mind is made up. I would like you to stay away from Georgiana."

She wanted to be dreaming but she wasn't. It had only been four weeks but she was started to develop a friendship with Georgiana Darcy and it was evident that her new friend's older brother had done some digging into her past, but if he only knew about the court case that was due to take place in December, then he didn't know the full extent of what she had gotten into after her father passed away. She wanted to explain that she had only done those things because she wanted to punish herself, that she had trusted the wrong people and had gotten into the wrong crowd because she wanted to distract herself from the guilt she was feeling but Will Darcy didn't want to hear about her past and how she was trying to make a fresh start. He didn't want to hear how much she was trying to change.

"You can't just choose Georgiana's friends for her." Lydia muttered.

"I can and I will. Just looking at that article and the comment section told me the extent of trouble you got in and I don't want someone like that around my sister. She's all I have left. I have to protect her." Will stated.

Now she could understand just how much her sister disliked William Darcy.

"You want me to leave Georgiana alone? Fine. But we're doing an English project together and it finishes in two weeks, so I will be around for the time being."

"That's okay, just after the presentation is finished, stay away from my sister."

As he turned to leave, she called him back. He turned around to face her and she tried to remain expressionless, she didn't want him to see how much he had hurt her by demanding she stay away from Georgiana.

"Let me give you a little bit of advice. Watch out for Laura Annesley. If you think that a stranger who has just moved here is no good for your sister, then the 'friend' she's had since childhood isn't either. I've known girls like Laura and in the end, Georgie's going to get herself into some deep trouble because of the influence Laura has over her." Lydia warned.

Without giving him the time to reply, Lydia pushed her way past him and headed for her first lesson as the bell rang for first period.

ooOoo

Sat in the restaurant, Elizabeth checked her watch for the third time since her arrival. This was her rearranged fifth date with George and they had agreed to meet for seven o'clock at Frankie and Benny's for dinner. But he was late. She had been sitting at their table for the past forty minutes with one text message she had received from George after she had let him know of her arrival at the restaurant, which told her that he was on his way.

She'd had a bad day. The year sevens had come down with an outbreak of flu like symptoms and she'd had to send home five students in that year group, four in the year eight year groups and three year nines. Her boss hadn't been pleased with her sending home twelve students with these symptoms, Catherine said that it made Rosings look bad when it came to attendance but Elizabeth had insisted that these students weren't fit to be in school and if they remained, more students would be sent home because an epidemic would break out. Then she and Lydia had eaten lunch together in her office because Lydia was upset. Lydia had told her about her conversation that morning with William Darcy and how she was now being asked to give up one of the friendships she was building. That man infuriated her, who was he to find out about someone's past without even getting to know the person in question?

And now the one thing she had looked forward to after a grilling from her boss and finding out the reason why her sister was upset was now making her feel more annoyed and agitated. She liked George and she didn't know why he was this late for their date without explaining why to her in the text message. He didn't work on Mondays; he had told her that on their third date. As she pulled out her mobile phone to call George, someone sat down in the seat opposite her.

"Sorry, that seat is taken." Elizabeth said firmly.

The black-haired woman smiled.

"My name is Sarah and we both have one thing in common." The woman said quietly.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

"What's that, exactly?"

"I made the mistake of trusting George Wickham. I've been watching the two of you-"

"You know, watching the two of us only makes you look like a stalker." Elizabeth pointed out.

But the woman didn't look offended, she simply gave her a small smile.

"I know what he told you, that he had his heart broken on his wedding day and that his best friend turned on him. It's all lies, there's a whole lot more to it and the roles reversed. George Wickham ruins lives, and whatever excuse he gave to you as to why he's running late for your 'date', he's probably screwing someone else." Sarah stated.

Elizabeth frowned.

"George wouldn't do that, he likes me."

"He might like you but George Wickham isn't exclusive. Just do the smart thing, don't trust him. Get out now before you start developing feelings for him, because when that happens you'll learn the truth and get your heart broken."

Before Elizabeth could reply, Sarah got up from the seat and left the restaurant. She thought about what Sarah had said, wondering if she was just jealous that George was moving on with her? Was Sarah the almost wife of George and had left him hurt at the altar? But she couldn't think on it any more as George came rushing over to their table.

"I'm so, so, sorry that I'm late. Denny had a school emergency-"

"Well, you're here now. A text to explain would have been nice though." Elizabeth replied icily.

George bent down to place a kiss on her lips but she moved her head, and his lips grazed lightly across her cheek. She wasn't in the mood for pleasantries, not after he had been so late for their dinner date and after a woman she didn't know took it upon herself to warn her to stay away from George.

"I'll text you if there's a next time." George promised, sitting in his seat.

"Try not to let there be a 'next time'." Elizabeth snapped, picking up the menu.

George frowned, looking at her through narrowed eyes as if trying to silently determine why she was in such a bad mood.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or am I supposed to put up with you being in a foul mood all night?" he asked.

She didn't look up from her menu when she replied.

"I've had a really shit day at work, my boss was on my case because I sent some kids home with flu-like symptoms. My sister has been told to not be friends with Georgiana Darcy because her arsy brother has decided Lydi is no good for his sister and then I'm sat on my own in a restaurant waiting for my date to arrive and he turns up nearly fifty minutes late."

"Look, Catherine de Bourgh is a stuck-up old cow, don't take it personally. As for Darcy, he's always been an arse. I don't get why you're in such a bad mood, I'm here now aren't I?" George huffed.

This time she did look up from her menu.

"George, I like you. I really do. We've been seeing each other for a few weeks now. But I don't want to waste my time, I want to take things slowly, get to know you a better."

"You aren't wasting your time."

"I want to be involved with someone who's honest with me, someone who won't get impatient because I won't sleep with them straight away."

"Have I not been honest with you?"

"Well, I want to believe you have been. But a woman told me that I shouldn't trust you, I just figured she was some jealous ex-girlfriend."

George frowned, his eyes narrowing in anger and his hands clenching into fists so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

"Did she say what her name was?" George asked, his teeth gritting together.

"Sarah, why?"

George banged his fist down on the table, making Elizabeth jump in fright and the few other diners around them stop eating their meals to look in their direction with looks of annoyance. Elizabeth quietly apologised to the other diners before turning back to George.

"What the hell was that all about?" she hissed quietly.

"I haven't seen Sarah since our wedding!" George replied, still with gritted teeth.

Elizabeth frowned.

"So, why would she feel the need to turn up now? Why would she want to warn me off you?" Elizabeth asked.

George relaxed slightly, unclenching his fists and picking up the menu; opening it to look at what he wanted to order.

"I have no idea, but she had no right to interfere in our relationship." George said quietly.

Elizabeth's eyes widened.

"Did I hear correctly?" she asked.

George looked at her with a little smile.

"Yes. You're my girlfriend, if it means that we can continue like this. I like you, Elizabeth," George replied, lowering his voice as he said the next part, "I know that I may have been impatient over the past six weeks since we've been together but each time I try and get to the physical part it's only because you stir up my need to be physical. But I can be patient."

Elizabeth smiled, nodding her head in understanding that they had an agreement to take their relationship slowly.

"You can be patient? I just want us to know each other properly before we take the next step."

"I can try."

The two shared a small smile before the waiter interrupted and took their food order, with both putting the unpleasantness of their night so far behind them and discussing more positive things since they had last seen each other.

ooOoo

"Georgie, dinner!" Will called from the bottom of the stairs.

Going into the kitchen and sitting at the table next to Alice, he rolled up his shirt sleeves and waited for his sister to come down the stairs. Ever since his sister had returned home with Alice from school, she had been in a foul mood when he thought her attitude towards him would improve since he had decided to end her punishment. But Georgiana remained hostile and angry.

Seconds after he had sat down, his sister appeared and sat opposite him, not saying a word to him but thanking Alice for cooking the cottage pie that they were about to eat together. Alice gave a small smile and the three of them tucked into their meals.

"How was your day, Georgie?" Will asked.

Georgiana rolled her eyes, shoving a forkful of food into her mouth and swallowing quickly; not caring that it was hot.

"Are you determined to make me as miserable as you are?" Georgiana asked bitterly.

Will blinked in confusion.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he questioned.

"Lydia Bennet was the one person who actually understood what it's like to lose your dad. Hers died last summer. She's the only one of my friends who got how it felt, the others are there for me, to distract me, but they don't understand. Lydia did. And you had the nerve to demand that she stay away from me."

It was evident to him that Lydia had told his sister about their discussion that morning. He had thought that the new girl would keep to herself after their little talk.

"I didn't mean it in a horrible way, Georgie. I've just found out some things about her and believe that she might be a bad influence on you." Will explained.

"Like what?" Georgiana demanded.

"I don't know the full extent but the impression that I got was pretty bad. You don't need someone dark-"

"You don't get to decide who I can and can't be friends with, I can judge for myself-"

"Your judgement is quite poor. I know it was Laura's doing for what happened to you two over the bank holiday weekend."

Georgiana stared at him coldly.

"Laura got the alcohol and she had the tickets for the show for a while, it was my idea to stay overnight in London. We're both responsible. Besides, I needed a good time."

"I want you to stay away from Lydia Bennet and I want you to stop spending so much time with Laura." Will stated.

Georgiana slammed her fork down on the table and pushed her plate away. He had never seen his little sister look so angry before, he had never seen her look at him in such a hateful way before.

"That won't happen." Georgiana replied.

"Starting from the weekend, we'll be spending a bit more time together. I let you have your space throughout the summer but now it's time we adjust to a new routine. We need to spend more time together, we're all each other has left." Will said softly.

Georgiana clenched her fists by her sides as she stood up from her chair.

"Right now, I wish that I didn't even have you!" his sister stated, her voice full of hate and rage.

Will froze in his seat, his fork falling from his hand as he tried to process what his sister had just said to him. He didn't register when his sister stormed out of the kitchen and stomped up the stairs to her bedroom; slamming the door as hard as she could behind her. He hadn't meant warning Lydia Bennet as a horrible thing, he had meant it in a protective, older brother way. Or at least, that's how he thought and felt at the time when he had made the decision to ask Lydia to stay away from Georgiana. He hadn't intended for Lydia or Georgiana to be hurt, but just from reading what he had read about this court case and in the comments that the girl was in question, Lydia Bennet, the protective mode had set in and he didn't want his sister being led astray.

"Fitzwilliam, she didn't mean it. She's just angry." Alice tried to assure him.

He didn't say anything in reply. He picked up his fork and continued to eat his dinner, wondering if his father had ever made as many mistakes as he had currently made when it came to taking on a role he clearly wasn't ready for.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers and any others who celebrate thanksgiving. I don't celebrate it personally but I send my well wishes to those of you that do.

It's rare if I post more than once a week but this chapter is being posted early because I have no free time next week. Real life takes over and I have priorities that need to come first with regards to my children, it's that time of year for me where I have to sort out my son's special educational needs placement for the next academic year while also applying for a school place for my daughter so I have lots of meetings to attend as well as work I have to do for university. Chapter Eleven will be posted in two weeks, so apologies that you have to wait for that.

I hope you enjoy this one, it's a little bit explosive and Lizzy will definitely have a lot to think about in the chapters to come.

 **Chapter Ten**

"Come on, down the drinks, the taxi will be here in ten minutes!" Charlotte urged with a laugh.

Elizabeth looked at the shot glass that she held and on the count of three, she and Aimee downed each of their shots before pulling on their shoes. It was a Friday night; they had finished work for the weekend and the three friends had decided to start their weekend by going clubbing. It was just what she needed after having Catherine on her case all week for the number of students she had sent home due to a flu-like epidemic that was taking over Rosings at present.

"Thank god it's Friday." Aimee said happily.

"Are we meeting Charles at the club?" Elizabeth asked.

Charlotte nodded, the three women picking up their clutch bags before heading to the front door in Charlotte's one bedroom flat.

"Yeah, he's going to meet us outside with a few friends of his. One of them is his sister apparently. The other two, one is Georgiana Darcy's older brother and the other is their cousin." Charlotte replied.

Elizabeth groaned. The last thing she wanted was to spend time with William Darcy when his aunt had been on her case all week.

"What's up, Lizzy?" Aimee questioned.

The three women stepped out of the flat and Charlotte locked the door while the other two headed out of the main entrance to wait for their taxi.

"I haven't exactly hit it off with William Darcy." Elizabeth answered.

"He came to Georgiana's parents evening last week, he seemed a little surprised that his sister is doing well at school."

"Does he really have that low opinion of his own sister?"

Aimee shrugged, "I think things at home aren't that great, their father died recently."

"I understand, it's not easy having to adjust to losing your only parent." Elizabeth muttered.

Charlotte finally joined them and the three cheered when their taxi pulled up just a minute later, which they all climbed into and began the journey to Gunwharf Quays. The three took pictures in the back of the taxi and then they all received a text message from Charles that told them he was waiting for them. They split the taxi fare between them and walked up past the shops in the complex before greeting Charles outside the entrance of the club.

"Hello ladies." Charles greeted merrily.

"Hey Charlie." The three said in unison.

"Lizzy, Aimee, Charlotte you know Will Darcy, this is my sister Caroline, and Darcy's cousin Richard Fitzwilliam." Charles introduced.

Elizabeth smiled at Richard, saying 'hello' to him before she met Caroline's cold stare. Instantly, Elizabeth recognised Charles's younger sister as the woman who had spoken to her when she had stopped outside Rosings on her first day in the city.

"Lovely to meet some of the staff that work with my brother." Caroline sneered, looking down her nose at the three women.

"Likewise." Elizabeth replied.

"Come on, let's head in. First round of shots is on me!" Charlotte said cheerfully.

The group joined the queue to the entrance to the club and chatted amongst themselves, with Richard asking the girls what subject they taught at Rosings, how long they had been employed there and then asked for their opinions on his aunt.

"Be honest ladies, I won't take offence if you don't like Catherine." Richard said brightly.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

"Are we to assume that you don't like her?" she asked

Richard smiled.

"She's family, you can't choose who you're related to."

"In more cases than one." Elizabeth muttered under her breath.

"Sorry...I didn't quite catch that." Richard said.

Elizabeth smiled, "It's nothing, don't worry." She replied.

The group were now at the front of the queue, where Elizabeth witnessed William Darcy pay the entry fee for all seven of them. The others thanked Will, heading through the main door and then up a flight of stairs to the main bar; leaving Elizabeth alone with William.

"How much was the entry fee?" Elizabeth asked.

"Five pounds per person." Will replied.

Pulling out her purse, Elizabeth handed Will a five pound note to which he shook his head.

"You don't need to pay me back." He said with a smile.

Elizabeth glared at him and shoved the note into his hand, watching as he didn't grasp it and the note fell to the floor.

"I don't want your money." She stated.

"I don't mind paying the entry fee, it's fine."

"Thanks, but no thanks."

ooOoo

Will watched as Elizabeth stomped her way up the flight of stairs and sighed heavily. It was clear to him that this woman who he thought about, those green eyes, those loose brown waves that cascaded around her shoulders, the way her eyes lit up when she had laughed and talked to the other members of staff at the meet and greet barbecue, she had intrigued him and she hated his guts. Perhaps she was right to hate him, he had been rude about her. Twice. And then he had told her little sister to stay away from his own sister which must have hurt Lydia. But he wasn't going to give up. When Charles had suggested that they go out for a few drinks and that he should bring Richard along, he hadn't been in the mood. When he had found out that Elizabeth was going to be going as well, he had decided that it was time to put right the times he had clearly offended her by getting her alone to apologise.

He walked up the stairs to see that Charlotte had already bought a round of different coloured shots for the group. Elizabeth helped herself to a bright red one, leaving the orange coloured on for Will. On the count of three, with Charles shouting the numbers over the music, the group downed their shots with Will gagging as the liquid burned the back of his throat. He hadn't done shots since he had finished university, these days he preferred to consume cider or lager if he was out with friends in a pub but even then, that was rare. He hadn't had a night out with people his own age in ages and it had been so long that he couldn't even remember the last time, but both Charles and Richard had persuaded him that it was just what he needed and he agreed. Will needed to get out of the house because at the moment, Georgiana needed a little bit of space from him.

The music blared so loudly that he thought his eardrums would burst. But the girls seemed to be having a good time, ordering more drinks at the bar and dancing together whilst Richard took an interest in Aimee while he, Charles and Caroline waited for the barman to get their drinks for them. Will noticed out of the corner of his eye that Caroline was watching him as he watched Elizabeth Bennet dance. He couldn't help but stare at her, her looks had captivated him, the way she was with the people who were her friends made him hope that he could rid her hostile barrier towards him and allow herself to be the same way with him that she was being with Richard, Charles and her friends.

But then he felt sharp nails dig lightly into his shoulder as Caroline's breath hit his ear.

"Want to dance, Darcy?" she yelled into his ear over the music.

Will shook his head. The last person he wanted to dance with was Charles's sister. Caroline had no decency, she tried to get her claws into him at his father's funeral and on the few occasions that he had seen her over the past few weeks, she had tried her best to entice him by flirting but he was never interested. Caroline was only after one thing and he had learned from his past with Sarah to avoid getting involved with women who wanted the Darcy wealth instead of him.

The night progressed with the group moving from the first room into the second where all the VIP booths were with the second bar. The second room was illuminated in bright colours of blue changing into green and green into orange and orange into red while a DJ played more music from the stage area. The crowd of people on the dance floor made him feel claustrophobic, but he managed to lose track of the others who had disappeared into the crowd on the dancefloor or had separated to go to get another drink from the bar. Looking around, he smiled in relief when he saw Elizabeth and carefully squeezed himself through the dancing people and tapped her on the shoulder.

She didn't return his smile but he bent down to her ear and spoke as loud as he could.

"Can we go somewhere to talk?" he asked.

Elizabeth hesitated but nodded, gesturing for him to lead the way. Will smiled and took hold of her hand as he led her out of the second bar and through the first room they had been in at the beginning of the night and stepped out on to the balcony with the cold night air hitting them.

ooOoo

She had spent the majority of the night trying to avoid William Darcy. She had danced with the girls, with Richard and Charles and had laughed and relaxed; ignoring the stares by the man who disliked her and Charles's younger sister who seemed to be forming the same opinion of her that Darcy had. But she didn't care, she let her hair down and had a good time. But when she had been trying to find the others and had been found by William, he wanted to talk to her and she had agreed. Elizabeth allowed him to hold her hand through the crowd, his skin so soft as their fingers closed in between each other, she only allowed him to do so because there was a big possibility of getting lost in the crowded nightclub. When they reached the fresh air on the balcony, she pulled her hand away from his and folded her arms.

This man confused her. She didn't like him because of what he had done to George in their past and how he had hurt Lydia by demanding her sister stay away from his all because William had made assumptions about Lydia from comments made in a newspaper article. Comments made by people who had gone to school with Lydia and were painting her sister in a bad way when none of what had happened had been Lydia's fault.

So, she stood there, on the balcony to Tiger Tiger, watching as he briefly looked up at the Spinnaker Tower, lit up in light shades of blue, yellow and purple that stood out against the pitch black night sky. The very tip of the tower glowed a bright red, to warn passing planes and helicopters that it stood in the city's skyline. Elizabeth had never been up the tower before, but the colours it glowed made her feel calm. Albeit rather briefly.

William turned to face her, letting out a deep breath that he must have been holding in.

"I wanted to apologise for the occasions that I was rude to you. The first time I saw you, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that and the second time when you overheard me saying those things, again I shouldn't have painted you like that because I don't know you."

Elizabeth let out a laugh. Not an amused one.

"Is that all you think you need to apologise for?" she asked.

She watched as he slightly frowned and hesitated before he spoke again.

"What else have I done to offend you?" he asked, with a puzzled expression on his face.

Elizabeth felt herself getting angry. How could this man not see how much he had hurt her sister? They had moved to Portsmouth so that Lydia could make new friends, have a new start and this man had stopped her from having this new start. Although Lydia still had Denny, she could tell that her sister was upset that she wasn't 'allowed' to be friends with Georgiana.

"It was nasty of you to make assumptions about me when you don't even know me. You basically assumed that I was a gold digger and after your money before even having a conversation with me to get to know me properly. Then I learn that you've googled my sister and made assumptions about her when you don't have the slightest idea about what she's been through!" Elizabeth snapped.

William blinked.

"I told Lydia to stay away from Georgie because my sister needs people who aren't going to lead her astray. I did it for my sister's own good-"

"And hurt my sister in the process. You saw those comments and assumed that my sister is a reckless, out of control slut. Well she's not. That man took advantage of her, he controlled her and did things to her when she was in a very dark place, she relied on the wrong people and those she called her friends stabbed her in the back."

"After reading those comments, can you blame me for worrying about my sister's safety?" William said through gritted teeth.

"If you had any concerns you should have come to me, I'm her guardian. If you had addressed any concerns to me I would have told you what happened under confidentiality. But instead you made your own mind up about version of events from online comments from people who are set out to destroy my sister. Moving here was supposed to be her fresh start, she was getting better, she was starting to be in a happier place again until you judged her from her past." Elizabeth yelled.

He didn't say anything in reply to that. And she wasn't going to stop there. If this confrontation had happened outside of a nightclub where she hadn't consumed alcohol, she would have tried to stay calmer. But the alcohol was fuelling her need to call him out on his behaviour towards her, Lydia and George.

"I don't like the person that you are, you hurt people who haven't ever done anything to you. You've hurt my sister deeply and that hurts me to see her struggling to fit into a place that she feels that she doesn't belong and your sister made her forget all that but now she's back in that place. You hurt innocent people, be it me, my sister or a man who once called you a friend." Elizabeth shot at him.

She saw his eyes widen and then they narrowed to glare at her.

"Of whom do you speak?" William asked her.

"I recently became involved with George Wickham. It was because of you that he's on minimum wage working in a gym when he once had a well-paid teaching position at Rosings and because of you, he lost someone he loved because you made a bet with his ex and ruined his wedding." Elizabeth replied.

"And is this your opinion of me? That I'm a heartless bastard who gets his kicks out of hurting others?" William questioned.

"You haven't exactly shown me anything else." Elizabeth answered.

"You call me out on being judgmental and making assumptions about people I don't even know. But you've just done the same. You don't know anything about me either-" William snapped.

"I know enough." Elizabeth interrupted.

"By believing lies told to you by a man who sets out to make everyone else miserable."

"George has been nothing but kind to me. He didn't make assumptions about me when we first met."

William moved his attention from her back to the noisy club and shook his head.

"If that's what you want to believe, then fine. But sooner or later, you'll learn Wickham's true colours and I hope that when you do discover his true character, you won't have fallen for him." William warned her.

Without saying another word, she watched as William Darcy disappeared back into the nightclub and saw Charlotte come out on to the balcony looking for her.

"What was all that about?" Charlotte asked.

"He wanted to talk to me about something." Elizabeth replied.

"What about? He's just told Charles that he has to go home."

Elizabeth sighed.

"I can't really get into it. Let's go back inside and get a drink." She said.

Charlotte smiled slightly but decided against pressing Elizabeth for information about the disagreement that she had witnessed between her friend and William. The two women headed back inside the club and bought themselves another drink before scrambling through the crowd to join the others in the second bar. Elizabeth drained her drink quite quickly, grabbing hold of Aimee laughing and pulled her friend to dance to the new song that the DJ was playing by the stage. As she twirled around, her laughter stopped and her smile faded. She stopped dancing and felt an invisible hand tie her intestines into a tight knot.

Hidden in the corner of the room by the stage, George was sloppily kissing another woman while his hand groped underneath the woman's short skirt. It had only been a week ago that he had declared her his girlfriend and promised he would be patient with her. Clearly, he had been lying to her if he was cheating on her. Was what he told her about William a lie as well?

Suddenly the other woman pulled away from George to catch her breath whilst he continued to grope underneath her skirt. Elizabeth saw the woman mutter something to George which caused him to stop his groping and turn, his face turning to sheer panic as he realised that he had been caught. Elizabeth turned and walked out of the club, feeling like an absolute idiot.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Here's the next update, I know you've been waiting a while for it. Back to the normal weekly updates now though.

 **Chapter Eleven**

Turning into the gravel driveway, Elizabeth drove past the main house and continued down the drive until she came to stop by the large lawn that led to the guesthouse. The whole journey home, Lydia had been on the edge of her seat with excitement that the half term was finally here and they were going back to Longbourn for four days to see Jane.

Switching off the engine and climbing out of her car, the two sisters grabbed their suitcases from the boot, with Elizabeth locking up the car as Lydia made a head start rushing across the grass to the guesthouse. The front door to the guesthouse opened, with Lydia and Jane squealing with delight as they hugged each other tightly. When Elizabeth reached the door, she put down her suitcase and hugged her older sister tightly.

"Welcome home guys." Jane greeted warmly, picking up their suitcases and leading them inside.

When it came to the guesthouse, Jane hadn't changed the decoration. The living room still had the same squashy red armchairs and two-seater sofa, with the same deep red rug covering the hardwood floor and a pinewood coffee table opposite the TV. The kitchen came just off the living room, separated by the breakfast bar and three bedrooms down the hall and the small bathroom which they all shared.

"How's things going here, Jane?" Lydia asked.

"It's all good, we've got four guests staying in the house at the moment and another two arrive tomorrow lunch time. Business is doing quite well." Jane replied positively.

"Have you decided what to do with our old bedrooms?" Elizabeth asked.

"I've converted them into extra rooms for the guests, so now we have the one downstairs, five on the first floor and five on the second floor. I've also hired a housekeeper that works part time." Jane announced.

"That's good." Lydia said with a small smile.

"Are you sure you guys are okay with staying in the guesthouse? I can always move our stuff into the main house." Jane offered.

Lydia shook her head.

"I can't, I'll be happy to stay out here."

"Same here." Elizabeth replied.

The girls unpacked their suitcases in their bedrooms whilst Jane made them all a hot chocolate to drink before the sisters caught up on what had been going on in Portsmouth and how Longbourn was doing.

"So, any love interests I need to know about?" Jane asked.

Lydia shook her head.

"Not for me, I'm not really interested in having a romantic relationship. I'm nearly sixteen, I have the rest of my life for that."

"And Lizzy? How's it going with George?" Jane asked.

Elizabeth's smile faded as her thoughts drifted back over the last two weeks to when she had discovered that George had been cheating on her. Her feelings for George had been based on lies, he had lied to her about being patient when it came to their relationship as he was sleeping with other girls on the side. Now she believed that his feelings for her were lies and the story she had told him about William Darcy had all been lies as well. She felt stupid for believing George.

"That's over." Elizabeth said quietly.

"How come?"

"He cheated on her." Lydia answered.

"Do you want me to kick his arse?" Jane asked, as she frowned, her tone of voice turning to scorn.

Elizabeth chuckled lightly but shook her head.

"Thanks but I'll be fine. It wasn't like we were together a long time. Six weeks is hardly something to cry over."

"But you liked him Lizzy, you invested time and effort into him believing that there could have been something more."

"Well, I was wrong. I can just move on now, my feelings for George will fade."

"How about we all go shopping tomorrow?" Jane suggested.

"Don't you have things to do here?" Lydia asked, placing her empty mug on the coffee table.

Jane shook her head as she and Elizabeth finished off their hot chocolates.

"The housekeeper works Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays so it gives me some time to spend with you two." Jane replied.

"If you want, I can run things Thursday morning until the evening so you and Lydi can spend some time one to one?" Elizabeth suggested.

"Are you sure Lizzy?" Jane asked.

Elizabeth nodded.

"I don't mind, honestly." She smiled.

"Thanks Lizzy. Jane and I do need to discuss what's happening when the trial starts in December." Lydia said quietly.

The subject that all three sisters had been dreading. The day that Lydia was required to come back to Thurston to testify as a witness in court was due to take place in the first week of December and because of the four-hour drive from Thurston to Portsmouth, the sisters had to discuss the best course of action to take.

"Well, I was thinking that I could pick you up on the Monday after school, you'll be in court to testify on Tuesday and then back to school on Wednesday. I can drop off late Tuesday night." Jane said.

"Can you get cover for Monday?" Elizabeth asked.

"Mrs. Hill is flexible; she's already said that she can change her Friday to another day if I need her to." Jane replied.

"Okay so we've got the pickup and drop off sorted, but Jane, that's a lot of driving. You can't just drive me home and then head back to Thurston straight afterwards on Tuesday night." Lydia stated.

"That's true, you can't do an eight-hour trip in one day." Elizabeth agreed.

"Would Ed and Maddie mind if I stayed overnight on Tuesday then? I can drive back on Wednesday."

"Of course, they won't mind, they've already invited you to stay for Christmas."

"I suppose that's sorted then. I'll call Maddie just to double check it's okay to stay and then we can discuss times nearer the time." Jane said, concluding the discussion.

The sisters spent the rest of the Monday just settling in and talking. As the afternoon changed into the evening and the time turned to nine o'clock, Jane headed over to the main house to ensure that all of the guests were back before locking up the main house and the sisters decided to order a pizza for dinner and put on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl to watch.

They watched the film and when they had only two slices of pizza left and they were nearly at the end of the film, Lydia got up from the sofa and stretched; yawning loudly and announced that she was going to bed. The other two bade her goodnight while Jane and Elizabeth continued to watch the rest of the film.

"Lizzy?" Jane asked quietly.

"Mmmm." Elizabeth hummed in reply.

"How is she getting on? Really?"

Elizabeth looked to her sister and sighed quietly. Despite the fact that Lydia's school marks were fantastic, the fact that their little sister had a positive attitude when it came to her school work, she knew that Lydia was keeping to herself at break times because William Darcy had forbidden Lydia and Georgiana being friends. Lydia had built good friendships with Denny and the boys he hung out with but Elizabeth knew that Lydia was missing having a few girl friends that she had found in Georgiana, Kit and Mary.

"She's not allowed to be friends with Georgiana Darcy anymore." Elizabeth replied softly.

"Why not?" Jane asked.

"Because William Darcy googled Lydia and made assumptions from the comment section on the newspaper article about Jamie Smith."

"Is this the same William Darcy that did all of that horrible stuff to George?"

Elizabeth shrugged.

"I'm not sure that George was telling the truth when he divulged that information to me. He told me of his connection and fallout to William Darcy the first time I met him, what person does that? Then there was this woman, Sarah, who warned me about him that time he was late to our dinner and then he was groping some girl in Tiger Tiger when he said that he'd be patient in our relationship." She explained.

"So, let's assume that George was lying about his past with William Darcy, that still doesn't excuse him making assumptions about Lydia. Has he explained to you why he did?"

"Sort of. He said it was for his sister's own good, I know that Georgiana got into some trouble in August and he believes that asking Lydia to stay away was the best thing for his sister but I think he overreacted, he should have come to me and spoke about his concerns."

"I take it the conversation didn't end well?" Jane asked.

Elizabeth shook her head.

"No, I told him I didn't like him, that he just hurt innocent people. I judged him because of what George had told me, how he was rude to make assumptions about me and what he had done to Lydia. I didn't tell him what had happened to Lydia, I just told him that the situation wasn't her fault and that she had trusted the wrong people." Elizabeth replied.

"Wow. So, what happens now?"

"I have a lot of thinking to do, I need to get my head straight about what's happened with George and then maybe I'll apologise to William for making assumptions about him. He was right on one part, I was a hypocrite for having a go at him for judging me and Lydia on assumptions when I did the exact same thing."

"Don't beat yourself up too much about it, maybe he's had a lot of thinking to do as well."

"We'll see I suppose. But listen, if there's something going on with Lydia, I'll let you know. Other than the Georgiana thing and I know she's upset about it, she's doing well. She's settled in at school, her grades are the best they've been since dad died, she's sensible and observant, she's making me proud." Elizabeth said, pride present in her voice.

Jane gave a small smile.

"I know you'd keep me posted if there was anything seriously wrong. I just worry, about both of you." Jane yawned.

"I know you do, Jane."

The film had come to the end and was playing the theme tune as the credits rolled across the TV screen. Jane picked up the TV remote and switched off the TV, both sisters getting up from the sofa and yawning loudly.

"Don't worry about the boxes, I'll tidy up the pizza boxes in the morning before I head over to the main house to do breakfast, you and Lydia sleep in and then we'll head out for a girly day of shopping." Jane said.

"Are you sure?" Elizabeth asked, "I don't mind cleaning up before I head for bed."

Jane shook her head and smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll do it. You've had a long day, get to bed and get some sleep."

"Okay. Night Jane."

"Night Lizzy."

Elizabeth walked down the hall and quietly closed the door behind her. She changed into a pair of pyjamas and climbed into the bed she hadn't slept in since the end of July and instantly fell asleep as her head hit the soft pillow.

ooOoo

The rest of the week had flown by for Lydia. On Tuesday, she and her sisters had gone into Ipswich for a day of shopping. Jane had ended up buying some new jeans while Elizabeth had bought herself a new pair of knee high black boots. They had eaten a late lunch before returning to Longbourn where she cooked her sisters chicken fajitas for dinner that night while they watched the soaps. On Wednesday, they had all helped Mrs. Hill in running the B&B, with Elizabeth cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms in the first-floor guest rooms and the shared bathroom on the top floor, while Mrs. Hill cleaned the bedrooms. Jane had spent the majority of the day going over the accounts and Lydia had kept herself busy by updating the B&B's Facebook page and signed the B&B up for a twitter account that she had agreed to help Jane manage.

During the mid-afternoon on Wednesday, she had decided to go for a walk around the village. She had seen the worried glance that her elder sisters had shared when she told them she was going out for a walk. But she smiled, assured her sisters that she would be fine and pulled on her coat and wellies. She had walked into the local newsagents to get some chewing gum and shared a brief but nice conversation with Mabel who owned the shop and walked down the footpath and across the fields as she passed underneath the railway bridge.

It was as she sat in the Bury St. Edmunds Starbucks on Thursday afternoon that she thought over what had happened on her walk. For the most part, it had been quite peaceful, she listened to the birds singing, she saw and heard a few squirrels running up and down the trees. But it was when she had passed her old secondary school that she ran into those girls who had made the online comments in the newspaper article, the ones who had made her life so miserable that she had been moved to Portsmouth to start over.

"Here you go Lydi, vanilla latte."

She blinked before smiling at her older sister, taking her latte from Jane as her sister sat in the chair next to her at the small, circular table that the two of them sat at.

"Thanks Jane."

The older Bennet sister looked at her with the same look that Lydia occasionally saw on Elizabeth's face, that look of worry.

"Jane, I'm fine." Lydia stated.

"Lizzy says that you aren't allowed to be friends with Georgiana any more." Jane said quietly.

Lydia sighed. The downside of having your older sisters as parental guardians sucked when they spoke about you with the same worry that a biological parent would have. Lydia knew that none of them had asked for their lives to be this way, it was the way it was and nothing could change that but she knew that her sisters looked at her differently now. Jane and Lizzy didn't just look at her like their kid sister any more, now they saw her as a surrogate daughter that they both had responsibility for. Or at least, that's how she felt since their father had died.

"You don't need to worry about me. I'll still be there for Georgie when I'm needed." Lydia assured her.

"It's my job to worry about you, just as it is Lizzy's. It always has been our job." Jane smiled.

"I know you didn't ask for this-"

"Lydi, it's not your fault but it's always been this way. Ever since mum left, we helped look after you, Lizzy and I never saw you as a burden. We just had to be more parental with you instead of sisterly since everything came out."

"I get it. I was a right cow in those months. Then on my fifteenth-"

"It was seven months ago that you met that man, Jamie saw how fragile you were and saw an opportunity. He isn't a decent man; he makes people's skin crawl."

"This all began back in March though. From July 'til the new year it was pretty much rebellious teenage stuff like coming home after curfew, bunking off school, getting mouthy to the teachers. March was when I turned fifteen and Jamie gave me the chance to forget, to punish myself for causing dad's death. That's just how I felt." Lydia said quietly.

"The fire was never your fault Lydi. I have some understanding of how you felt now." Jane said softly, leaning her hand across the table to squeeze Lydia's.

"I saw Yasmin and Jessica yesterday."

Jane's eyes widened and she took a mouthful of her cappuncino before gesturing for Lydia to continue.

"I was walking past the school, I just stopped for a second to get a glimpse when I saw the two of them walking towards me. They stopped, they yelled stuff, they followed me until I picked up a medium sized branch and indicated that if they wanted a fight, I'd defend myself."

"Did they hurt you?" Jane asked.

Lydia shook her head.

"No, they were just a bit mouthy. Their words don't hurt me anymore, maybe because moving away has changed me for the better. Back in June, when things at school got rough because of them, their words would have done a lot more damage to me." She replied.

And it was true. Despite her setback in her friendship with Georgie thanks to William Darcy, she was no longer resentful of the fact that her sisters had made the decision to move her away from Thurston for a fresh start. Seeing her former two best friends yesterday, the way they had shouted that she was nothing but a prostitute drug dealer who needed to die in the ditch she came from, it didn't hurt her. Not anymore. When she had dropped out of school in June she had been coming to terms with what Jamie had done to her, how Yasmin and Jessica had posted photoshopped pictures of her around the school and started a bullying campaign instead of supporting her through a difficult time, she had been in a low place. But now she was a little bit happier, in a new place, having a new start, making genuine friends and becoming a little more mature.

"I'm glad that you stood up for yourself. You've come a long way since you moved." Jane smiled.

Lydia returned her sister's smile.

"I'm going to miss you when we leave tomorrow." She said sadly.

Jane's smile faded.

"I miss you both terribly too, but we can skype, we can email and we can still call and text as much as you want. Besides, you'll see me in five weeks anyway and I will support you through the day you have to give evidence because that's what sisters do." Her sister promised.

The sisters shared a moment of silence, taking a large mouthful of their drinks before setting the mugs back on the table.

"Are you coming to Portsmouth for Christmas?" Lydia asked.

Jane nodded, "I've already updated the booking part of the website that we're closed for Christmas eve, Christmas day and Boxing day but we open again on the twenty-seventh." Her sister replied.

"It's our second one without dad." Lydia muttered.

"I know Lydi, but he would be proud of you for making a fresh start."

"I don't know about that-"

"He would. Now tell me, is Lizzy really okay after her break-up?"

Lydia nodded. Since the previous week when Elizabeth had come home from her night out with the Rosings staff, she had noticed that her sister was upset because she had feelings for George and she was angry that he would lie to her but otherwise, Lizzy seemed quite fine.

"She's okay, a little angry her time has been wasted and that she was lied to. She had to leave her phone in Portsmouth because he keeps sending text messages and leaving her voicemails." Lydia explained.

"Sounds like she had a lucky escape." Jane commented quietly.

"I'm friends with his brother Denny, and I agree. From the things that Denny has told me, if she had been with George longer she would really have had her heart broken by him. She's trying to think of ways to approach William Darcy to apologise for her snap judgement about him in Wickham's case." Lydia said.

The two sisters finished their hot drinks and left the Starbucks, heading back out to do a little bit more shopping before heading back to Longbourn.

ooOoo

Georgiana stood in front of the mirror, turning her head to look and see if the dress she had chosen to Laura's party made her look fat. She had spent much of the previous weekend shopping with her best friend and concluded that as much as she liked Laura and was grateful for the distraction over the summer holidays, she hated shopping with Laura. Her best friend had dragged her around all the shops in Commercial Road and Gunwharf Quays before stating that they would be much better shopping in Southampton. Georgiana had managed to convince Laura to take a look around the John Lewis store in Palmerston Road. In the end, at Laura's encouragement, she had chosen out a simple black bodycon that hugged to her figure, showing off curves and highlighting her cleavage.

 _I'm fifteen, I shouldn't be showing off bum and boobs just yet._

There was a knock on her bedroom door and she rolled her eyes, knowing just who would be on the other side. She crossed the room to the door and pulled it open, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor as she allowed Will inside her bedroom.

"I was thinking of having a movie night tomorrow, just the two of us. Is there anything you want from the supermarket? Alice is going to go in the morning and wants to add any extras to the list." Will explained.

Georgiana shook her head. Ever since her brother had banned her from being friends with Lydia Bennet, she hated him. Lydia was the new friend who actually understood what she was going through and her brother had taken that away from her. Now she was being forced to spend time with her brother and being made to feel just as miserable as he was.

"I can get her to get you some chocolate? And what about popcorn? I'll even let you have the toffee stuff you like so much." Will said, trying to entice her into being excited about this.

"Do whatever you like, it hasn't stopped you before." Georgiana snapped.

Will sighed.

"I'm trying here Georgie; you could at least meet me halfway." He said, disappointment present in his voice.

She looked at him in anger, she didn't want to make the effort with him when he was making her feel suffocated and caged. Ever since he declared that the two of them would be spending more time together two weeks ago, he had certainly kept to his promise. They had cooked dinner together for Alice as a thank you for everything she had done for the two of them since their father's passing, they had gone on a walk down the common on a Sunday morning, they had been to the cinema, out for dinner, they had even gone for a drive up Portsdown Hill. They were spending _too much_ time together in her opinion.

"I'm spending time with you aren't I?" she asked sarcastically.

"I'm just trying to do the best in our current circumstance." Will sighed heavily.

"Well I didn't ask you to."

"Well I have to. Now, enjoy your party. I'll pick you up at eleven."

Georgiana groaned. The party would be going on until the early hours of the morning if Laura had her way and she had promised her best friend that she would stay until the very end.

"Can't I stay until one?" Georgiana asked.

William shook his head.

"No. You might be sixteen soon but you still need a good night's sleep. We're up early tomorrow, we've got lunch with Catherine, Anne and Richard."

"Whatever."

William left her bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Georgiana huffed in frustration, she hated having her older brother as her parent. She missed the old days, when Will was just her brother and would treat her like a sister. Back in those days, he wasn't overprotective, he wasn't strict, he wasn't authoritative, he was just…. Will.

Her phone buzzed, a text message from Laura telling her that she was outside ready to get her. Georgiana turned back to look at her reflection and pinned half her hair up and half of the curls falling down her shoulders. Picking up a pair of black flat shoes from the floor, she picked up her phone and left her bedroom; ready to try and have a good time.

ooOoo

Laura Annesley's Halloween parties were usually well known to allow the kids of Rosings Park School to have a good time. The previous year, Laura had managed to convince her parents that the party didn't need adult supervision and had managed to get her older sister's friends to get some alcohol and the party had livened up. This year however, the music played on low while most of the year elevens from Rosings were cramped throughout Laura's house and the back garden while her parents observed them.

"Laura, your party is crap." One of the boys yelled.

Georgiana stood in the corner of the living room with Kit, silently agreeing with the boy. She wasn't usually a fan of watching people get drunk but with Laura's parents keeping a watchful eye and a total ban on alcoholic drinks, the party was kind of boring. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Laura stomp her way over to them, hand on her hips and her eyes wide in frustration.

"Gee, you've got to help me!" Laura whined.

"With what?" Georgiana asked.

"Clara is supposed to take over the observing but she's running late. My parents are really killing my reputation here!"

"Lau, I really don't know what you want me to do."

"Come with me."

Before she even got a say in the matter, Georgiana felt Laura grasp a hand around her wrist and drag her away from Kit, across the living room, out to the hallway and then into the kitchen. She could hear the cheering and excited swaps of conversation in the back garden where she guessed some of their year group was having a good time. When the two girls reached the kitchen, Laura released her wrist and stood her in front of a boy.

Georgiana looked up at the boy, he was a head taller than her and in the flickering light of the candles placed around the kitchen, she made out the light shade of brown of the boy's eyes, his hair a matching brown.

"Georgiana, this is Gregory Jones. He's in his first year of sixth form at Rosings." Laura introduced.

Smiling at the boy, the two of them shook hands.

"I'll leave you two to talk. Just get dancing in the living room at some point, it might loosen up the party poopers!" Laura instructed, heading off through the crowded kitchen to the back garden.

"Sorry about that, I have no idea how Laura's mind works sometimes." Georgiana laughed nervously, her arms folding across her chest.

Gregory smiled.

"It's fine, she told me that she wanted to introduce me to someone. I had no idea that it would be someone as pretty as you." He replied.

She felt herself blush slightly and looked away, until she felt a rough finger pull her chin back to his gaze.

"Don't look away, I like seeing you blush. Now, shall we follow through with your friend's request?" Gregory suggested.

Georgiana smiled and nodded, allowing Gregory to lead her back into the living room. When they were in a spot in the middle of the room, Gregory asked someone to turn up the music as he pulled her to him and started twirling her around. She laughed when she fell into him, nearly causing him to stumble backwards.

"I didn't hurt you did I?" Georgiana asked.

Gregory shook his head, returning her laugh.

They continued to dance together, noticing that the other year elevens had also started to join in following their lead. When the music stopped, and started to play the next song, Gregory pulled her into the corner of the living room; away from the watchful eyes and slyly pulled out a flask of alcohol.

"Want a swig, Georgie?" Gregory asked.

Georgiana frowned.

"Who told you to call me that? Only my friends call me that." Georgiana reacted.

Gregory simply smiled and took a swig from his flask.

"Laura's told me a lot about you, shown me pictures, I've already started to fall for you just by Laura's boasting of how beautiful and nice her best friend is. Indulge me, get to know me, I want to know everything there is to know about Georgiana Darcy."

Georgiana felt stunned at Gregory's admission. He was in the year above her at school but in the sixth form part, and Gregory had been one of the popular kids when he had attended the secondary school part of Rosings.

"You….like me?" Georgiana questioned.

"I do. So… you want a swig or not?" Gregory countered, waving the flask in front of her face.

Biting her lip before taking a quick glance to make sure that nobody was looking, Georgiana took the flask from Gregory and took a large swig.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter, this one is pretty angst free, sort of depending on what you think of the chapter content.

Enjoy.

 **Chapter Twelve.**

 _Elizabeth, it's George. Again. Look, I fucked up. Really fucked up. But I can explain. Please. Call me back._

Beep.

 _Elizabeth, don't ignore my texts or calls. I get impatient, you know I do. Please, call me back._

Beep.

 _Do you know what? I only did it because I was frustrated and you weren't giving me what I needed. Maybe if you weren't so frigid I wouldn't have touched that girl in the club._

Beep.

 _Stop fucking ignoring me, Elizabeth. We are good together and we belong together. Call. Me. Back._

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and let out a slight laugh as she deleted all the voicemails that George had left her that day. Ever since she had seen George in Tiger Tiger with that woman, she had called him on her lunch break the day after to say that she was done with him. But the text messages and the phone calls continued and had resulted in her leaving her phone at Maddie and Ed's while they visited Jane for the half-term week.

"What's funny?" Lydia asked.

"George. He's getting impatient because I won't return his messages." Elizabeth replied.

"Well tough shit. You told him you were done with him. He should be a man and accept that he's not going to get you back."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

"Language missy!" she mocked.

"Sorry. Mum." Lydia chuckled.

Lydia pulled her hat further down to try and warm her face up a little bit more.

"It's bloody freezing. Why didn't I stay at home and keep Trip company? He hates fireworks." Lydia said through chattering teeth.

"Because Ed thought it would be nice if we did something as a family and seeing the bonfire night fireworks is a good way to do that." Elizabeth replied.

"And then kicked us out the car with twenty quid to get a Mick's Monster Burger while he and Maddie spoke about something. What direction are we supposed to look in anyway when the fireworks display starts?"

Elizabeth looked out at the view where they stood at the viewpoint on Portsdown Hill and in the pitch black of the night, she saw the lights of the city lit up against the black canvas of the sky.

"I think somewhere near Spinnaker Tower. Ed said they're held at the Gunwharf Quays marina."

The queue to the burger van started to move, just as Elizabeth and Lydia moved down the queue, Elizabeth saw her sister turn around and start up a conversation with the person behind them. On a second glance, she saw that it was Georgiana who had tapped Lydia on the shoulder. The two teenagers were having an in-depth conversation, which Elizabeth guessed was due to the fact that the two girls hadn't spoken in a while. Her eyes met brown ones as she looked above Georgiana, noticing that the eyes that she had once deemed as cold and critical weren't so anymore. She gave William a small smile, feeling the need to be a little friendlier to the man she had been so harsh and hypocritical to.

"So, who are you here with?" Georgiana asked.

"Lizzy, and my aunt and uncle." Lydia replied.

"That's nice. Will's dragged me out into the freezing cold because he wants family time." Georgiana said in a fake complaint tone.

"We do it every year, Georgie." William said with a smile.

The two teenagers went up to the burger van to place their orders, leaving Elizabeth to stand alone with William.

"I'd like to thank you, for booking the accommodation for Charles and I, our booking got cancelled yesterday and everywhere else is booked up." William said, breaking the awkward tension between them.

"It's no trouble, Charles is a friend." Elizabeth replied politely.

There was a slight pause between them before William decided to continue talking to her.

"Do you know the accommodation well?" he asked.

Elizabeth nodded.

"It's the family business."

"Have you owned it long?"

"My grandfather bought the house and the land from the original owners who were falling into financial difficulty. My grandfather made repairs to the main house, built a guesthouse and Longbourn was developed into a B&B. When my grandfather died, my father inherited the business and when my father-"

She paused, feeling a pang of guilt as she was about to say that when her father had died, she and her sisters had inherited the business. And to some extent, the business was hers, legally any way. She, Jane and Lydia owned a third of Longbourn each, with both her and Jane as trustees to the third that Lydia owned until her younger sister turned eighteen. But she hadn't done much to get Longbourn up and running again since the fire. Sure, she had made decisions with Jane that they wanted to get Longbourn up and running again because it was the Bennet legacy but really, it didn't feel like her business. She had trained to become a nurse, that's what she had always wanted to do with her life, that's why she decided to move to Portsmouth with Lydia.

But she felt a little guilty. Although she had moved away from what had always been home, she had to start over in a new city, in a new job, but she hadn't once thought about what Jane had wanted to do with her life. Jane had gone to university, had a degree in business management and finance and it had been Jane who helped run Longbourn alongside their father but she couldn't believe how she had let Jane do everything when it came to their family's livelihood.

"You inherited from your father?" William asked.

Elizabeth nodded.

"My sister Jane manages the family business. She's done a fantastic job getting it up and running again." She replied.

"Again?"

But before Elizabeth could answer his question, their sisters had returned to them; with Lydia handing two massive burgers over to her to take back to the car.

"Will, is it okay if I eat mine with Lydia? We've still got twenty minutes until the fireworks start." Georgiana requested.

Elizabeth watched as Will hesitated for a second, before giving a quick nod and the four of them returned to where Ed and Maddie were sat in Ed's car. Elizabeth handed her aunt and uncle the change and their burgers before walking with William to sit at one of the empty picnic tables that looked out over the view of Portsmouth.

"I owe you an apology," Elizabeth said quietly, "I was a hypocrite to call you out on the things you did, to say those things when I judged you without knowing you. But you were right, about George Wickham, so I apologise for basing my opinion of you on what he told me."

William smiled at her as he swallowed the bite of his burger.

"Thank you, for that. But the other two counts you had every reason to be angry with me. I shouldn't have called you a gold digger and I shouldn't have snapped at you that day in the shop, I was rude. The day in the shop, I was under a lot of pressure. It was the day of my father's funeral and the barbecue, I had a rough start to the day. With regards to your sister, I didn't mean it in a way that would intentionally hurt anyone. I should have spoken to you about my concerns, you were right about that."

"Maybe so. I think we both made mistakes." Elizabeth admitted quietly.

"We did," William agreed, "But maybe we can put this behind us?"

"I'd like that." Elizabeth smiled.

The two of them were distracted by their sisters joining them at the picnic bench, all four of them hearing the bangs and the mixed colours of greens, reds, blues, oranges, yellows, purples and pinks lighting up the city's skyline. As Elizabeth watched the fireworks display, she silently thought on her conversation with William Darcy, concluding that Lydia had been right; there was definitely a lot more to the man and her first impression had been entirely wrong.

ooOoo

While everyone else was enjoying pretty colours lighting up the night, George sat in the near empty bar of The Slug and Lettuce in Gunwharf Quays; tapping his foot impatiently against the wooden bar. His beer was half drunk and his temper was starting to build dangerously. His gaze went from the wooden bar to the black-haired woman who sat on the stool next to his.

"You wanted to see me?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, we have a lot to talk about." George growled threateningly.

Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"Is this about the pretty brunette you were dating?"

"You have poisoned her against me."

"I doubt that. I merely gave her a friendly warning." Sarah affirmed.

George laughed in disbelief, he knew that Sarah was behind Elizabeth's doubts about him. He knew that Sarah had warned Elizabeth that she should stay away and now Elizabeth was doing just that. The woman that he wanted had seen him with another woman and now she didn't want anything to do with him. He had left her messages, asking her to let him explain but she hadn't replied.

"You stirred things up. Everything was perfectly fine until you showed up at the restaurant." George accused.

"I've been keeping an eye on you. I saw you shagging that girl down the alley while you were supposed to be at the restaurant with her. You kept her waiting. I warned her and it seems to be that she was smart enough to listen to that warning." Sarah said calmly.

"Why are you so intent on destroying my relationship with Elizabeth? She won't call me back now she's seen me with that woman in the club!" George exclaimed angrily.

Sarah laughed harshly.

"You ruined things yourself. Let me guess, you promised her that you'd be her boyfriend, that there'd be nobody else? Save it, I've heard it all before, remember?" she said with her voice lowered.

George leaned in closer.

"So, this is about Darcy?" he questioned.

"In the beginning, all I thought about was our agreement to get his money, but you were wrong about him. He's a good man, he's a kind man. He really cared about me, he really loved me. I wanted to be his wife-"

"You _were_ his wife. Until your conscience got the better of you as you signed the marriage certificate."

He watched as Sarah paused for a moment, glaring at him the entire time.

"It's because of you that Elizabeth won't talk to me, she won't let me explain. I brought you here to give you one last warning." George stated.

"And what's that warning George? You don't deserve a good woman and Elizabeth strikes me as the decent type of woman." Sarah snapped back.

George picked up the rest of his drink and drained it in two mouthfuls before slamming the glass back down on the bar. It made a loud clinking sound as it came into contact with the wood, causing the rest of the customers to briefly look in his direction before returning to their own conversations. George looked Sarah in the eye, hoping that the threateningly look on his face would scare her. But it didn't. She looked at him with deviance, she wasn't the woman who he had manipulated five years ago, clearly, she had grown a spine of courage in their five-year absence.

"You know exactly what I'm capable of. If you continue to mess around with me, then I will destroy you and I won't hesitate about whether it's the right thing to do." George threatened.

"That's because you don't know the difference between right and wrong, all you care about are your own self-interests." Sarah spat back.

Getting up from his stool, he pulled on his coat.

"All I'm interested in is having Elizabeth Bennet and one way or another, I _will_ get her!" George promised in a low growl.

Leaving Sarah sat at the bar, he walked out of The Slug and Lettuce and disappeared into the night.

ooOoo

Stepping into the house, Ed and Maddie took off their coats and hung them up before heading into the living room whilst Elizabeth and Lydia stood in the entryway to the house, taking off their own whilst they talked more about Longbourn.

"You know that the business is like Jane's baby, right?" Lydia asked, hanging up her coat on one of the spare hooks.

Elizabeth shrugged, her feeling of guilt had remained with her ever since they had left the Darcy siblings on Portsdown Hill.

"I didn't stop to think about what Jane wanted, it was just decided that I would come with you to Portsmouth because I'm a nurse and that's the position that Rosings was hiring for." Elizabeth explained.

"And now you're feeling guilty? Don't. Jane loves managing Longbourn, if she was really struggling with it she would have told us when we went up for half-term." Lydia pointed out.

"Maybe. But I'm going to call her now, I just feel like I have to talk to her about it." Elizabeth said.

Lydia gave her a look before heading into the living room after Maddie and Ed. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, knowing full well that Lydia was going to grill her on how her conversation with Will Darcy had gone. In all honesty, she had been quite surprised at how pleasant it had been to talk to him and now they had apologised to each other. They had agreed to put the unpleasantness behind them and she was now seeing him in a different light.

She climbed the stairs and closed her bedroom door behind her, pulling her phone out of her pocket and dialled Jane's mobile phone number.

"Hi Lizzy, are you okay?" Jane greeted merrily.

"Yeah, I'm okay. You?" Elizabeth asked.

"Not too bad, just going over the bookings I've got over the next three weeks." Jane answered.

"Busy?"

"We're steady, I'm just getting an idea of numbers so that I can write up my shopping list for what I need to get over the next three weeks. I've got a big booking for mid-December, there's a company from London who have an overnight conference in Bury St. Edmunds so all of the rooms I have are booked up for some of these employees. And I sent the confirmation email to your friend Charles just now, so the three rooms that he needs for two weeks' time is all set to go."

"Sounds like you have your hands full."

"I do," Jane agreed, "But at least we're starting to make a profit again."

There was a slight pause between the two sisters as Elizabeth thought about bringing up the subject that she had been thinking about since saying goodbye to Will and Georgiana.

"Lizzy? You still there?"

"Yeah, sorry. I've just been thinking about something."

"What's up?"

"We ran into William Darcy tonight and he thanked me for putting Charles in your direction-"

"Whoa. Hang on. You ran into William Darcy?" Jane interrupted.

"Yes. And we had a conversation. A pleasant one." Elizabeth replied, a smile forming on her face as she played with a loose wave of her hair.

"A pleasant conversation? What did you speak about?"

"Not much, we apologised to each other and agreed to put it behind us. But he thanked me for the recommendation on accommodation and we got to talking a little bit about Longbourn and it got me thinking about some things."

"Like what?" Jane asked.

Even though Elizabeth couldn't see her sister, she knew that just by the tone of voice as Jane asked her question, she knew her older sister was puzzled.

"I just feel guilty how I've left you to run Longbourn when it's just as much my business as it is yours." Elizabeth sighed.

"Oh Lizzy, don't be silly."

"But isn't there something you want to do? I never even asked you if it was what you wanted."

"Lizzy, I have a degree in Business Management and Finance. I've always wanted to run Longbourn, even when we helped dad run it when he was alive. It isn't a chore for me like it was for you. You were always meant for nursing just as much as I was meant for running a business. It was always my dream to have my own business Lizzy, so don't feel guilty." Jane assured her.

Elizabeth nibbled on her bottom lip. Now having been put at ease that running Longbourn was what her sister wanted, she now had to talk to Jane about the second thing she had been thinking about.

"Jane, I've been thinking of signing over my shares of Longbourn to you." Elizabeth said quietly.

Another slight pause.

"Lizzy, why?"

"It's just like you said, I was always meant for nursing just as much as you were for having a business. You only have a third ownership of Longbourn. Of course, Lydia has her share and we have control over her inheritance for another two and bit years. So, why shouldn't you have two thirds ownership? I only have a third because dad didn't think it was fair if only one of us inherited the B&B."

"Lizzy, I want you to think about this. I mean, _really_ think about it. We can discuss it at Christmas and if you do sign your shares over to me, I'm buying it from you."

"I don't expect you to-"

"I know you don't. But I want it to be treated like a business transaction and not just because Longbourn isn't what your destined for. Of course, it will always be your home, I would never take that away from you or Lydia. But I would use my share of dad's life insurance to buy you out."

"The shares of the life insurance weren't much after we had to top up payout we got from the buildings and business insurance." Elizabeth pointed out.

"But still, what we had divided between us was ours to use as we pleased. If you do decide you want to sign over your shares of Longbourn, I'll buy you out." Jane insisted.

"Okay. So we're in agreement, I'll give it some thought and we'll discuss it when you come down for Christmas?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Yes. Right, I'd love to chat longer Lizzy but I really want to get this shopping ordered before I turn in for the night. I'll speak to you soon."

"Okay sis. Love you." Elizabeth said quietly.

"Love you too, Lizzy."

Ending the phone call, Elizabeth placed her phone on charge before heading downstairs to watch EastEnders on catchup with her relatives.

ooOoo

"I'm surprised you allowed me to spend time with Lydia, seeing as you don't like her." Georgiana commented.

Will closed the front door behind them as they stepped into the house, both taking off their coats and gloves and hanging them up. The time they had spent up on Portsdown Hill to watch the fifth of November fireworks at Gunwharf Quays had turned out better than he had expected. For one thing, Georgiana was actually more willing to spend a bit of time with him; even if she had been texting on her phone most of their time alone together. And for another, running into the Bennet sisters hadn't been as dreadful as he had initially feared when they had seen Elizabeth and Lydia in the queue to the burger van.

"Well I figured I should make more of an effort." William said, heading into the living room to see a note from Alice which informed him that she had gone out with friends for the evening.

His sister followed but her eyes were glued to her phone screen, her fingers tapping away on the glass with a small but eager smile on her face. Will knew that look, it was a look he had had when he had been giddy about someone.

"Someone important?" William asked, his eyebrow raised and slight smile appearing on his face.

Georgiana looked up, her smile fading. The look on her face showed him that he shouldn't have asked her anything about who she was texting.

"It's none of your business." She countered.

"Oh come on, can't I take an interest?"

"Well that depends. Are you asking as my brother or as my guardian?"

And they were back to the awkward tension of them both feeling out of place. His sister would refuse to open up to him about how she felt about him having to be parent as well as brother and he still felt out of sorts because he wasn't sure how he should treat Georgiana. Was he supposed to be the person he had always been, like he had been tonight, taking her out for some quality sibling time, or was he supposed to be the ogre that she thought he was when it came to making decisions she didn't agree with because he felt it was in her interests and she felt it wasn't?

It wasn't just the mistakes like asking Lydia Bennet to stay away. It was about things like when he had grounded her for being irresponsible in London, taking away her privileges if she spoke to him in a rude manner, making her spend time with him when she'd rather hang out with Laura or her other friends. Tonight, he had actually believed that the two of them were finding some middle ground in their new relationship, he had suggested they go and see the fireworks on top of Portsdown Hill like he took her every year and she had actually seemed excited at the prospect.

"Georgie, I'm trying here. I'm really trying." Will pleaded with a desperate sigh.

"Well I didn't ask you to try. I just want to be left alone." Georgiana huffed.

"I can't do that. I'm worried about you. After picking you up drunk from Laura's party and then you being antisocial in your bedroom. Please, Georgie, talk to me."

But his sister wasn't interested. She wouldn't talk to him about her thoughts or feelings, she wouldn't tell him anything or confide in him like she used to. He didn't stop her when she stormed past him and stomped up the stairs, continuing to text on her phone while she did so.

Will huffed out a breath in frustration as he slumped into one of the armchairs, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. It was getting to the point where he was starting to silently wish that he had the power to bring back the dead, to bring their father back to life if it meant that Georgiana would go back to being happy again, to go back to being the sister that he missed. He didn't know what he was going to do. The only Darcy family member that he had left was his little sister and they were drifting apart no matter what he did, and now they were on the edge of becoming strangers.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Just a head's up, this chapter is pretty angsty and there will be an angst warning in place for the next few chapters to come. I'm posting twice this week, with chapter fourteen coming on Friday as I'm away visiting relatives so I won't be able to post.

 **Chapter Thirteen**

The chills that came with early November, the temperature gradually dipped into single digits. Cars were frosted over with ice on the windscreens, pavements were covered in ice and the roads had been gritted with salt to prevent car accidents. It was the middle of November and Lydia had headed into Commercial Road after school with Denny to watch the Christmas lights get switched on and have a look around the German Christmas market that had opened up in the city centre high street.

"Denny, what's up? You've been looking like a sour lemon all day." Lydia commented.

She pulled her friend in the queue for the coffee, with Christmas songs playing loudly in the background as people looked in the shops that, as of tonight, were open until nine in the evening until Christmas eve.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Denny replied miserably.

Lydia raised an eyebrow, not quite believing that her friend was down in the dumps over nothing.

"Come on, tell me. I'm a good listener." Lydia encouraged.

"It's Georgiana. I'm worried about her." Denny sighed.

Lydia felt a little surprised. Ever since she had become friends with Denny, he had only mentioned Georgiana a few times, mostly when he had explained the real reason behind what had happened with Laura backstage.

"What's the matter? She seems happier to me, I think there's a boy that she likes and that might be the reason."

"That's exactly the reason, Lyds. This new boy she's seeing, his name is Gregory Jones. He's in the year above us, in sixth form."

"Is there something wrong with this boy?" Lydia asked.

"He's not good for her." Denny replied firmly.

"Has he actually done something wrong, or do you still have feelings for her?"

Denny paused for a moment and looked away, causing Lydia's eyes to widen in surprise.

"You still like her, don't you?" Lydia questioned.

"I might do. But Gregory really is not good for her, he's got a reputation for getting girls drunk and taking advantage." Denny answered.

"Have you tried talking to Georgie about him?"

Denny nodded and the look on his face told her that his attempt to try and warn Georgiana about this boy she liked had fallen upon deaf ears. Lydia knew that she had to take what Denny had told her seriously. It was because of her own history of getting involved with a man older than her and who had made her do things, had taken advantage of her, that she had to do something about Georgiana.

"We have to do something." Lydia stated quietly.

Denny frowned.

"But what? How? Georgiana won't listen and I know for a fact that Laura is very pally with Gregory, it wouldn't surprise me if she pushed the two of them together." Denny said.

"I don't know, Denny!" Lydia exclaimed in frustration, "But I can't sit back and do nothing. I won't let Georgiana get into the same trouble that I got into."

ooOoo

"I honestly don't know why we even came down to see the lights get switched on," Laura complained, "It's the same thing they do every year."

Georgiana rolled her eyes and smiled up at her new boyfriend as Gregory placed a light kiss to her cheek before announcing he was going off to get them all a coffee. Her relationship with Gregory was nearly three weeks old and he was sweet to her, he treated her like an adult. They would hang out together with some of Gregory's friends, Laura and Kit at Laura's house when her parents were out and her siblings at work and they would listen to music, have a few drinks, just do things that felt adult.

Laura pulled Georgiana to sit down on the only free bench available in the crowded city centre.

"So, have you and Gregory done the deed yet?" Laura whispered into her ear.

Georgiana felt her cheeks flush. That was the one thing that she and Gregory hadn't done yet. They hadn't slept together and Gregory was quite eager to get her into bed if their time alone together was anything to go by. But she wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. She was nervous about having that type of relationship with someone and although she would be sixteen at the start of December, she was scared that she would disappoint Gregory if things went further.

"No…not yet." Georgiana muttered.

Laura looked at her as if she had the plague or something.

"Come on Gee, you can't stay virginal forever. Trust me, sex is no big deal. Gregory really likes you so why not show him a good time?" Laura encouraged.

"I won't stay a virgin forever…"

"And Gregory will tire of you if you keep him waiting. What are you so worried about? You like him don't you?"

"Well…yeah-"

"So just get it over with."

"Lau, you aren't helping me feel less nervous about the fact." Georgiana muttered.

Her best friend's face softened.

"I'm sorry Gee, I just want to see you happy. I know it would make you happy. If you want, I'll talk to Gregory and get him to make it special for you? You've already said he makes you feel special." Laura offered.

"He does, I really like him Lau. He's making me happier than I have been in months, Will is determined to make me as miserable as him." Georgiana said.

Well that's how she had felt since her father had died. Will had changed, she didn't recognise him as the older brother she had once had a close bond with. Suddenly, Will had become all parental on her and when he had grounded her after the bank holiday incident, she had accepted her punishment reluctantly. Even when he had picked her up and she had been drunk at Laura's Halloween party, he had tried grounding her again, taking away her phone and keys, driving her to and from school until Laura pointed out that she didn't have parents, she could do what she wanted. So, that's what she was doing. She was sneaking out and leaving school earlier so that Will wouldn't pick her up from school and she wasn't returning until after dinner had been served up by Alice and she got up earlier in the mornings than she usually would to go and spend some alone time with Gregory before school started.

"Well then, let's watch these damn lights get switched on and then we'll head back to mine for some drinks." Laura smiled.

"I think I'd like that."

Laura gave her another encouraging smile and tugged on her arm. The two girls got up from the bench and walked towards the Costa Coffee shop to look for Gregory.

ooOoo

"Alright, I'm coming!" William shouted, walking quickly down the stairs.

He opened the front door, after hearing someone banging loudly on it for the past two minutes, and looked confused as Lydia Bennet came charging past him into the house.

"May I ask what the urgency is of you barging into my house?" he queried.

"Do you know where Georgie is?" Lydia asked urgently.

Will sighed and shook his head. No matter how hard he had tried to provide his sister with rules and boundaries, Georgiana had gotten rebellious over the past few weeks. The sneaking out, the refusal to listen to him had become even more. He hardly recognised his sister.

"No I don't. I asked her to wait for me after school so we could head into the town centre to watch the lights get switched on but she wasn't there when I went to pick her up. She's not answering my calls or text messages," Will explained, "Now, if you don't mind, I have to finish packing, I have to finish packing because I have a business trip this weekend."

But he noticed the look of desperation on her face, the look of worry in the girl's eyes. She didn't seem like the type of girl he had made assumptions about from reading that newspaper article. Lydia Bennet seemed truly concerned about his sister for some reason and perhaps he had misjudged the girl because the impression he was getting at this moment was one that Lydia Bennet may have been good for Georgiana.

"What's the matter?" Will asked.

"She's got a new boyfriend; did you know that?"

Will nodded.

"I did," he confirmed, "But Georgie wouldn't talk to me about him. She texts him constantly when she's home and she's always with him."

"Well a friend of mine just told me that this new boyfriend of hers has a reputation for drugging girls and taking advantage when they aren't in their right mind. Gregory is dangerous and I don't want what I went through to happen to Georgiana." Lydia stated.

"I appreciate you looking out for her-"

"She won't listen to Denny, and if I try and talk to her, she won't listen to me either. I know you think I'm a bad influence for her, but you don't know what happened to me. I got involved with a man much older than me, he was dangerous too. Just promise me that you will try to get Georgie away from Gregory before it's too late." Lydia pleaded.

Will sighed but nodded his promise, deciding that he would speak with Georgiana properly when they were next in the house together.

"I promise, I will do something." Will said softly.

Lydia gave him a nervous smile before saying a quiet 'thank you' and turned back to the front door. But before she turned the handle to open the door, Will found himself stopping her.

"Lydia?"

She turned around to face him, looking a little puzzled as to what else he had to say to her.

"I'm sorry, for judging you on what I read. I should have gotten all the facts before I asked you to stay away from Georgie because I thought you'd be bad for her. You coming here, full of concern for my sister, shows me that I was wrong. I think you'd be good for her and after the way she's been behaving recently, she needs someone like you looking out for her." Will apologised.

Lydia gave him a small smile before turning the door handle and disappeared into the night. Will groaned in frustration as he began to think over what he was going to do about Georgiana. He was at his wit's end when it came to his sister, he couldn't punish her because she was avoiding him and deliberately making a stand against any type of authority that he showed and when she was home, she would be holed up in her bedroom, refusing to have any contact with the outside world unless they were in her friendship group at school.

As he pulled his coat off the rack, Will heard the front door open and close again. Alice was back from the town centre.

"Oh Fitzwilliam, the lights have already been switched on. It was packed down there, it was like a can of sardines." Alice chuckled.

"It's always packed down there when the lights get switched on. I don't suppose you saw Georgiana?" Will asked.

Alice's smile faded as she shook her head.

"What's she done now, Fitzwilliam?" Alice questioned.

Will shrugged.

"I don't know. What does that say about me? The parental brother who doesn't know what his kid sister is getting up to." Will exclaimed.

Alice patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, you've tried so hard with her and you're still trying."

"Not hard enough, Alice. Lydia Bennet has just been round to warn me about this boy that Georgiana is dating."

"Go find her. I'll guarantee she's where she usually is." Alice said quietly.

Will nodded in agreement, buttoning up his coat and leaving the house.

ooOoo

The little gathering at Laura Annesley's house was just a small affair, music playing on a low level mainly just as background noise as the group of underage teenagers were sat in Laura's living room swapping hilarious stories and telling cheesy jokes. The girls gossiped over the latest rumours going around Rosings and the boys bragged about their latest conquests of chasing girls.

"So, Gregory, have far have you and Georgie gotten?" Jacob asked.

Georgiana felt her cheeks tint a light pink, her nerves starting to come back.

"Jake, mate, I'll tell you about my hookups but I won't spill the beans when it comes to my girlfriend." said Gregory, wrapping an arm around Georgiana and smiling down at her.

"Bullshit! At least tell us if she's popped her cherry before you!" Jake complained.

Georgiana briefly looked at Laura who smiled encouragingly and handed her another drink. She took it and had a large mouthful before thinking deeply. While she liked to hang out with her friends and Gregory's friends Jake and Ralph, but when the conversation turned to sex, she felt a little pressured and nervous. Luckily, Jake got bored of questioning her boyfriend on her virginity and turned his attention to a willing Laura; who had strolled over to Jake and shoved her tongue down his throat. The two of them were kissing in a way that Georgiana didn't deem polite in front of others, she would have preferred privacy if it were her and Gregory.

"Are you aright Gee?" Gregory whispered.

She shrugged her shoulders as she downed the rest of her drink. Laura and Jake were moving from the living room and up the stairs to Laura's bedroom whilst Kit and Ralph were playing thumb wars with each other.

"Shall we go somewhere a little more private?" Gregory suggested.

Georgiana nodded and allowed him to help her off the sofa and lead her out into the conservatory. She sat down on the tiny sofa that looked out into the garden whilst Gregory poured them both another drink in the kitchen before sitting down next to her.

"Thanks." Georgiana muttered, taking a large mouthful of her drink.

"Just relax Gee. I'll do all the work." Gregory whispered, tucking her hair over the opposite shoulder and pressed his lips to her neck.

"What do you mean?" Georgiana breathed.

Gregory huffed impatiently and pulled away from her neck, looking up at her.

"Everyone has been gossiping about us, saying you're frigid because you won't let me sleep with you. So just lay back and relax, I'll sort you out." Gregory explained.

Her eyes were drooping, she felt lightheaded and couldn't find something to focus on. Georgiana just felt the weight on Gregory on top of her lifeless body as she tried to fight to keep her eyes open; only that she didn't have any strength within her to do so. Gregory was kissing her neck, groping at her school skirt as if trying to push it higher.

"Gregory….I…I…don't…feel…"

"Sssh," Gregory soothed, placing a finger over her lips, "It's all going to fine."

Then everything went black.

ooOoo

Several hours later, the hospital lights on the empty ward began to flicker as the nurse popped her head round and told him that she was turning the lights out but he was welcome to switch on the bedside lamp. William said a quiet thank you and switched on the bedside lamp before turning his attention to the sleeping form of his teenage sister.

He watched as his sister peacefully slept, she was safe now and he couldn't thank himself enough that he had gotten to her in time. After Lydia visited and had warned him about her concerns for Georgiana, he had headed out to search for his sister, starting at Laura's house because that was where his sister would be most of the time. And his first instinct to search there had been right. He had banged on the door for five minutes before being admitted into the house by Kit Bartholomew. A lot of shouting had taken place, with him searching the upstairs bedrooms before finding Laura in bed with a boy and no Georgiana upstairs. He then proceeded to search the downstairs and found his sister in her underwear, her lifeless body lying on a sofa whilst a boy groped and kissed and was about to do things to his sister. Immediately, he pulled the boy off Georgiana, punched him in the face and called an ambulance.

Will had never felt that angry or desperate before. He was angry because of what that boy had done to his sister, what he had just stopped. The desperation came when he noticed his sister's unusual breathing, like she was struggling; it was clear that she may have been drugged. The boy had run from the house in a panic, alongside the other two boys in the house whilst Kit stood in the conservatory doorway in complete shock. The ambulance had arrived, had taken Georgiana to hospital and had run tests on her; only to confirm that she had been drugged.

He heard Georgiana stir and she slowly opened her eyes.

"Will?" she asked, croakily.

"I'm here, Georgie, you're safe." He assured her.

She looked confused and helpless as she rubbed her eyes and looked around. Will watched as Georgiana observed that she was dressed in a hospital gown and was surrounded by blue curtains and sat in a hospital bed as she sat herself up slightly.

"What…what happened?"

Will took hold of her hand.

"You were drugged. I found that boy trying to rape you."

"Rape...me?"

Will nodded.

"You were lifeless when I found you. Your eyes kept opening and closing but you didn't have any strength in you to fight." He explained.

"But…Gregory…he…wouldn't…"

"He was. I saw him. I pulled him off you and punched him-"

"You...punched him!" Georgiana exclaimed.

Will nodded.

"I'll always have your back Georgie, I'll always protect you when you need it." He promised.

Her eyes filled up with tears and they started to leak down her face.

"I really…. liked him."

Will moved from his chair and wrapped his arms around her. For once, she didn't fight him, she clung to his shirt and sobbed into his chest. Nothing was said for a while as his sister continued to cry, letting out her devastation of the night's events as William silently hoped that this was going to be a positive turn for them both. He hoped that this would bring them closer together again and that they could finally start building bridges.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** So thanks for the reviews, I always love reading what you think of the chapter that I post. Apologies that I didn't post yesterday, the only downside of two week holidays at this time of year for my kids is that they come home with stomach bugs. But here's the chapter I promised yesterday, a day late. Reminder: No post next week as I'm away with no internet connection or laptop.

A note: The rating of this story has now changed to 'M' because of the content of the last chapter. So usual warnings apply with a rating change.

 **Chapter Fourteen**

The sky was covered in thick white, greyish clouds that not a hint of blue could be seen. A light snowfall had begun an hour or so which was now beginning to lay on the ground as Jane stepped outside in a thick winter coat, scarf and gloves and her wellies, locking the front door to her little guesthouse as she walked across the lawn and smiled up at the man with bright red hair and blue eyes.

"Thank you for agreeing to show me around more of Thurston, it seems like a peaceful place." Charles greeted.

"It's no trouble, and it can be peaceful but we do have the odd bit of noise in the village." Jane smiled.

The two walked out of the driveway that gave entry to Longbourn and the surrounding grounds and turned left, starting to walk past the school that Lydia had originally attended until her move to Portsmouth. The two spoke about how long Jane had lived in Thurston, what Charles had done prior to teaching, how he was finding his teaching course and how she found running the B&B. Ever since Charles had arrived with Richard Fitzwilliam, the other man having had a family emergency so had asked Charles and Richard to cover him, Jane had felt a spark between her and Charles. He helped her clean up the dining room after all the guests had finished breakfast and had even helped her load the dishwasher in the kitchen before he had noticed the picture on the fridge of her and her two sisters. They had chatted a bit more about their families and then he and Richard had gone off into Bury St. Edmunds for a meeting for William Darcy's company.

"How did your meeting go?" Jane asked.

"It went well, I helped set up the presentation whilst Richard did all the talking. It is in agreement that TPA will start building a school in Mali come the spring. Darcy has provided the additional costs to the set up the charity as part of his company. We leave later this afternoon." Charles replied.

"That's admirable, that he's helping others like that." Jane smiled.

"He's a good bloke, a good friend."

The two carried on walking down the road, passing by the post office and newsagents and continued down underneath the railway bridge and on to the country path that overlooked farmers on tractors or tending to their cows and sheep. Jane caught Charles's eye in moments of silence, admiring how his eyes had a light twinkle when he smiled back at her, his small dimples and even on the few times that they had laughed together, it was like music to her ears. She had never felt a spark like this before and she had only met the man on Friday evening.

"Sometimes I imagine getting away from Portsmouth, away from my family, away from the business of the city and I'd go away to somewhere peaceful like this." Charles said.

"I imagine that it must be quite noisy in the city for you." Jane commented.

Charles laughed and nodded in agreement.

"It's not just that," he added, "Don't get me wrong, I love my family and I love my new job but it's only because of my father and my sister is quite snobby and is trying to get my best friend to show her a romantic interest which isn't going to happen. Sometimes I imagine that a bit of distance away from my family would be best for everyone."

Jane went silent for a minute, trying to process what Charles had said. She didn't have her family around her and she felt quite lonely. She and Elizabeth had agreed that Lydia needed a fresh start in someplace new and while she was happy for Lizzy to go with Lydia and she was happy to run Longbourn on her own, which she loved to do, it just wasn't the same anymore. She missed the morning rush where Lydia would run around like a headless chicken trying to get her schoolbooks together which she had usually scattered all around the family's rooms on the upper floor of the main house. She missed the family dinners, movie nights in with her sisters, she missed seeing her father and the check-in desk.

Charles sensed how quiet she had gotten as they continued their walk.

"Have I said something wrong?" he asked.

Jane stopped walking, looking up at him with a sympathetic look on her face. She could understand that being around family all the time must take its toll but at the same time, she'd give anything to have hers back.

"It's just that you want to move away from your family because they are a bit much for you at times, I'd give anything to have mine back with me." She replied.

Charles stopped smiling and instantly had a look of guilt on his face.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologise, it's fine," Jane assured him, "It's just that you'd miss your family if you were away from them like I am."

"I didn't mean to upset you, I didn't think." Charles muttered.

"I like that you're apologetic, most men aren't." Jane complimented.

She saw the look of surprise on his face show as she paid him a compliment. The two of them continued to walk until they headed back to Longbourn so that Charles could pack his suitcase for the journey back to Portsmouth, with dropping Richard back off in London first. Once they were back at Longbourn, Charles walked her to the guesthouse door and kissed her cheek before the two swapped phone numbers and a promise to get to know each other a little better.

ooOoo

"Will?" a soft voice questioned.

He looked up from reading the Sunday morning paper and gave his sister a brief smile. Georgie had been discharged from the hospital late on Thursday night and he had kept her home from school on Friday because of the previous night's events. They had reported the incident at Laura's house to the police who were now trying to track Gregory down and make an arrest.

"What's up, Georgie?" Will asked.

Georgiana bit her bottom lip before taking a seat next to him on the sofa.

"I think I should go to school tomorrow." His sister mumbled.

"You don't have to. You can stay off school for a little while longer." Will assured her.

"I know. But I've already missed the last few weeks of term during the summer term the previous school year and this year is my final year of school, I have my GCSE's that I have to take in May so I can't really miss much more time." said Georgiana.

"I really think you should stay home. It might do you some good to process what happened on Thursday."

Georgiana's eyes welled up with water but no tears leaked out. Will folded the paper and chucked it on to the coffee table before he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Ever since their father had died, he had known that Georgiana was feeling vulnerable and it became apparent to him on Thursday just how vulnerable she was. He had only tried once to initiate a conversation about their dad's death but Georgiana had said that she didn't want to talk about their father just yet and he had respected that.

"I can't avoid school forever. I'll have Lydia there." Georgiana pointed out.

"I suppose, but I want you to stay away from Laura." Will stated.

Georgiana stiffened slightly.

"Look, I know you think that I spend too much time with Laura but she's been there for me since dad died. She's my best friend, Will. You never used to mind Laura before dad died."

"That's because I was only your brother before dad died. I was never aware just how much influence that Laura has over you, I knew she got you into typical teenage trouble like coming home ten minutes late after curfew but now I'm more than just your brother. I'm your legal guardian, a parental figure. And ever since dad died, we haven't spent much time together and we haven't spoken about it properly-"

"I don't want to talk about dad's death, Will. It happened. We knew it would." Georgiana snapped.

"It doesn't mean that we were prepared." Will said softly.

There was a slight pause in the atmosphere as the two siblings looked at each other, both trying to control their emotions and not engage in another argument.

"Georgie, Laura isn't any good for you. When I barged my way into her house, she was upstairs. When the ambulance came for you, she didn't even care that your life was in danger. She just asked Kit what was wrong and then shrugged before heading upstairs to her bedroom. Lydia, on the other hand, came to warn me about that boy. It's because of Lydia Bennet that nothing more serious happened to you, not Laura Annesley."

His sister's eyes widened in surprise as she processed the knowledge that her 'best friend' did nothing to help her when she was drugged by Gregory. Will hated seeing the shattering look in her eyes as she came to the realisation that he was right; Laura really was no good for her.

"I have to go to school tomorrow, Will. I need to face Laura." Georgiana pleaded.

"Fine. But I'm asking Lydia to stay close, I need someone to keep an eye on you." Will sighed, caving in.

"Can I ask… you were against me being friends with Lydia all those weeks ago…why did you change your mind?"

Will scratched his forehead. He hadn't expected her to ask him why he had changed his mind about Lydia Bennet. As a brother figure to Georgiana, he had never really known how much of a bad example Laura had been until he had become his sister's parental figure. At first he had believed that she was simply keeping Georgiana busy, that Laura was helping his sister to come out of isolation that Georgiana had put herself in for twenty-one days from the day that their father had died to the day their father had been buried. But now, he knew better. Laura wasn't being helpful, she was distracting Georgiana from properly grieving, which put his own grieving on hold because he was trying to deal with being a parent as well as a brother, he was putting his role as owner of TPA on hold because he was trying to adjust to life in Portsmouth without his father and being responsible for a fifteen year old girl and he was trying to come to terms with people expecting more from him now that he was the head of the family.

When it came to his quick, wrong judgements about Lydia, he had initially believed that the girl was dangerous for Georgiana to be around because of what he had read about her. But now he knew he was wrong to judge the girl, it was clear that Lydia had been through an ordeal and she was trying her best to start over. Lydia had been concerned about Georgiana on Thursday night and because of her warning, it was thanks to Lydia that his sister had been saved from a far worse way of suffering.

"I just realised that I shouldn't have judged her so harshly when I didn't have all the facts. I've apologised to the Bennet sisters and I believe, after Lydia's concern when she showed up here and the fact she warned me about that boy, she is the type of friend you need to help you get through this." Will answered.

Georgiana nodded.

"Will…what if they don't catch him?" she asked, her voice trembling.

He had never seen his sister look so scared before. Georgiana's eyes were wide with anxiety and fear over the possibility that Gregory would never be caught and charged with attempted rape.

"If the police don't find him…I will. I will stop at nothing to make him pay for what he did to you." Will promised in a low voice, taking hold of her hands in his and squeezing them tightly.

As she smiled at him, their moment was interrupted by his phone ringing. Letting go of Georgiana's hands and sighing, he picked his phone up from the table and answered the call.

"Hi, Richard, thanks for calling. How did it go?" Will asked.

"It went great Darce, they will start building the school in the spring. In the meantime the TPA volunteers will be returning to the village in the new year with new supplies and will fix the water pump that broke." Richard informed him.

"That's great, thank you Richard."

"How's Georgiana?"

Will paused.

"She'll be okay, do you want to talk to her?"

"I can't Darce, we hitting the road again now. I'll check in with you both later."

"Okay. Bye Richard."

Ending the phone call, he placed his phone back on the coffee table and turned to Georgiana.

"I'm sorry you missed your important meeting." She mumbled.

"Don't be."

"But it's my fault you couldn't go. Your business partners are going to be pissed that you left it to Richard-"

"I don't care what they think," Will interrupted, "You are the most important thing to me, the only Darcy member I have left, Georgie. If the TPA business partners don't like the fact that I stayed home to care for my sister, who also has shares in TPA, then they can go and screw themselves."

Georgiana raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure they'd like that attitude." She giggled.

"If they want to pull out of their current deals, they'll have to buy themselves out of their contracts with TPA, I certainly won't be. Besides, I'm not even worried about TPA right now, Richard is taking care of the business whilst I take care of you." Will replied.

There was another slight pause between the siblings before Georgiana let out another yawn.

"Do you want to watch a film? Or do you want to sleep?" Will asked.

"A film, something that Alice owns. She's recommended a few old ones." Georgiana replied with a smile.

Will returned her smile and nodded in agreement as he got up from the sofa and opened the film cabinet, going through the films and pulled a few of Alice's out that Georgiana might want to watch, when he heard his sister call his name.

Looking around at her, he said, "What's up, Georgie?"

"I never said thank you, for getting to me in time." Georgiana replied.

"I'll always look out for Georgie, for as long as I'm able." Will promised.

Showing his sister the DVDs that he had picked out from the cabinet, Georgiana chose one and the two siblings settled down on the sofa, watching the film.

ooOoo

The next morning, Lydia stood outside of the main entrance to Rosings, checking the time on her phone as she waited for Georgiana. She was relieved that her friend had been found before Gregory could do more damage and she was surprised to receive a text message from Georgiana the night before asking for her to meet her outside the main entrance to the school. Just as the bell rang to indicate the start of the first lesson, Georgiana ran through the gates and greeted her at the reception.

"Morning, how are you feeling?" Lydia asked.

Georgiana moved her to one side to allow other students to pass by them.

"To be honest? I'm terrified. Will got a phone call from the police this morning, Gregory handed himself into police, his mother pressured him apparently. He's been charged with attempted rape." Georgiana said quietly.

"That's good isn't it? At least he's not still out there trying to hide." Lydia replied positively but keeping the tone of their conversation low so nobody else could overhear them.

Georgiana nodded but her facial expression remained uncertain.

"Look, Georgie, I'm not going to pressure you into talking about how you feel after what he did to you. But I want you to know that I am here when you feel ready to talk, whatever you need, I'm here." Lydia assured her.

"Thanks Lydia. Not just for being there but for going to my brother. If it wasn't for you, Gregory would have gone further than what he did." Georgiana mumbled.

Lydia gave her a small, reassuring smile. She could understand to a certain extent how her friend was feeling a range of emotions and she knew that Georgiana wasn't quite sure of how to deal with the situation that had occurred on Thursday night, but she wanted to let Georgiana know that she wasn't alone.

"What are friends for?" Lydia smiled.

But Georgiana didn't return her smile.

"Will told me that Laura didn't care what happened to me." Georgiana muttered.

Lydia wasn't surprised if Laura didn't truly care at what happened to Georgiana on Thursday night. Over the weeks that she had spent with Laura Annesley, she had gotten the impression that Laura was rather selfish, she only acted within her own interests and liked to be a 'queen bee' of sorts.

"What are you going to do?" Lydia asked.

"I need to speak to Laura, ask her if what Will told me is true, and go from there. I needed to come to school to face her."

"I'm here with you, if you need me."

"Thanks Lydia-"

But before the two girls could continue speaking, the deputy head came out and scolded them for being late for their first lesson, ushering the two of them to their first class of the day.

The rest of the morning went by quickly for Lydia, despite the fact that of her first three Monday morning classes, she had gained a lot of revision and coursework to complete before her mock exams took place after the Christmas holidays. So, when she met up with the girls at first break, she was in the mood to relax but that wasn't the case. Meeting the girls at their usual picnic bench, she sat on top of the table with Kit whilst Georgiana and Laura had a not so pleasant conversation.

"I just want to know if what my brother said is true, that you didn't even care that I was being carted off in the back of an ambulance-"

Laura didn't look impressed at Georgiana's accusation.

"Your brother has caused a lot of shit for me, Gee! My parents have taken away my make-up and I can't live without that, you know I can't! And to top it off, my reputation as a match maker has been destroyed because you landed Gregory with an attempted rape charge-"

Lydia watched as Georgiana gulped back a breath. She watched as Laura continued to rant about the trouble that she was in and it was somehow Georgiana's fault.

"What he did…he drugged me Lau…" Georgiana said quietly, on the verge of tears, "I liked him…he was going to…and you're my best friend, you should care…"

Laura snorted.

"The only reason I've been holding you up is because you're a Darcy. How else do you think I got into this school? My parents are rich but they've got five kids to support, they could hardly afford the fees for Rosings. When they found out that a Darcy was in the same preschool as me my mother pushed yours for a connection, that's all our friendship is based on. My connection to you has got me the best education I can get because your aunt does favours for those friendly with her relatives. Why else would I bother with you? You're nothing but a frigid virgin, so I told Gregory to make you relax, at least if he popped your cherry you'd be more interesting to hang out with. And then I set it up on my phone, I've got the video. So, if you want the video to stay private, stay on my good side. Otherwise, I'll post it to the school's Facebook page and tag you in the post-"

Lydia felt sick to her stomach as she watched Georgiana run off sobbing to the girl's toilets on the other side of the playground, with Kit following her in her wake. Mary folded her book closed and shook her head in disgust as the girl followed her twin sister after Georgiana, leaving Laura and Lydia alone at the picnic table.

"I suppose you have something to say?" Laura asked.

Lydia got down from the picnic table and stood in front of Laura. This girl was just like the girls at her old school. Laura was a user, a backstabber, a selfish cow but only Laura was worse. Laura had filmed what Gregory had done to Georgiana and that was a crime in itself.

"Can I see the video?"

Laura frowned.

"Why?"

Lydia shrugged.

"Just curious, I was thinking I might get some tips from you. See if I can work on my camera angles for my Media Studies coursework." She replied.

"And you're asking me?" Laura questioned, with a tone of surprise in her voice.

Lydia nodded.

"Come on, everyone knows you're the best person to come to in our year, so why not give me a few pointers by showing me this video you took?"

Laura grinned wickedly and took her phone out of her bag, passing it over to Lydia who then flicked through the videos that Laura had taken on her phone. Watching the footage, she silently made a mental note to herself that she wasn't eating lunch later that day, just by watching it back it made her feel like running to the toilet and chucking her guts up. How could Laura think it was acceptable to record something like this? How could Laura do this to Georgiana, who had always put up with Laura's selfish crap? It made her blood boil so much that she wanted to smash the phone on the ground and beat Laura into the next century, but violence wasn't the answer. Instead, she quickly pocketed Laura's phone and ran off in direction of the head teacher's office.

She could have sworn it was the fastest she had ever run in her entire life. Lydia had to shout apologies back at the students she knocked over as she ran through the school buildings, with Laura Annesley chasing her, shouting after her and calling her every swear word name under the sun. She didn't stop to look back at a puzzled Lizzy who had stepped out of her office upon hearing the commotion. Lydia continued to run, her heart pounding faster and faster in her chest, one hand holding tightly onto the strap of her schoolbag so it didn't fly off her shoulder, her stomach getting a stitch pain because she wasn't breathing properly as she ran, but eventually she was running down the main corridor that led to the reception and then she burst into the head teacher's office, panting for breath as she handed an unimpressed Mrs. de Bourgh the phone that belonged to Laura Annesley.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mrs. de Bourgh demanded in a harsh and banshee shriek like tone.

Taking deep breaths, Lydia finally managed to explain that Laura had evidence of Gregory's crime against Georgiana on her phone, that she had taken the phone to give as evidence before Laura posted it online like she had threatened to do. Laura burst into the office, demanding that head teacher that she expel Lydia for theft but then the bell rang, indicating the end of the first break. Lydia could hear the sound of students moving between the corridors to go to their fourth period classes and she met the cold stare of Mrs. de Bourgh, wondering what was going to happen next.

Catherine de Bourgh pressed the play button on the video footage, looking rather displeased when it came to an end.

"Miss Bennet, go and find my niece and bring her here. Miss Annesley, you are in serious trouble, I have to call the police."

ooOoo

After discovering that Georgiana hadn't headed to her fourth period lesson, Lydia decided to head to the girl's toilets that were located just off the playground. She crossed the deserted playground and pushed open the door and stepped inside the girl's toilets, her schoolbag dropping to the floor and her eyes widening in horror at what she saw.

"Georgie…"


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** I hope you all had a very happy Christmas and New Year, I certainly did and was kept very busy during my week off from writing. But now back to weekly postings.

This is a warning. There is content in this chapter you may find disturbing, you may find upsetting. Read at your own risk. you have been warned.

 **Chapter Fifteen**

"Georgie…"

Lydia felt shocked and stunned as she watched her friend drop the tablet she was about to place into her mouth, on to the floor. Georgiana fell to her knees, trying to keep her devastated sobs silent but Lydia could still hear the muffled sound and her heart instantly broke as she recognised the pain that Georgiana felt. She knelt on the floor in front of Georgiana, taking hold of her hands and trying to establish eye contact.

"Georgie, it's okay. It's going to be okay." Lydia whispered.

But Georgiana let her sobs come out loud, shaking her head that everything would be okay. Seven months ago, Lydia had felt the same. Seven months ago, she had thought her whole life had ended after her so called friends had started a bullying campaign after she had confided in them about her brief time with Jamie and on top of trying to deal with that experience, grieving and feeling guilty for her dad's death, that was the last straw that led her to dropping out of school in June and her sisters calling their uncle and aunt with the decision to start afresh.

"Georgie, it will be okay."

"No…it…. won't…" Georgiana cried.

"I know how you feel, I know what you're going through." Lydia said softly.

"But you don't…" Georgiana shrieked, continuing to cry, pushing Lydia away from her, "I can't keep…on like…this…feel….so…empty….so much…pain…"

"I do get it, Georgie," Lydia replied, her voice bursting through with her own grief, "I do understand, I promise."

"I feel so…dirty… so stupid-"

"You feel so dirty because you don't know what happened to you, that you weren't able to process what was happening right at that moment? Dirty because he drugged you, he touched you and no matter how hard you scrub yourself in the shower, it's never enough? Stupid because you trusted the wrong people? Hurt and betrayed because you thought you could trust your friend? Powerless because you couldn't fight back? Empty because you lost your only parent? I get it Georgie, because I went through this too."

The only sounds that came from the bathroom were Georgiana's calming tears as the blonde-haired girl dried her tears and took deep breaths to calm herself. Lydia felt her heart beating in her chest, she hadn't told anyone what she had been through since she had moved to Portsmouth. She had let slip to Denny on Thursday that she had been through a similar experience and she had asked him not to press the matter and he had agreed. But this was different. She could see that Georgiana was attempting to stop herself from feeling anything and she needed to let Georgiana know that it would get better.

"What happened to you?" Georgiana sniffed.

The two sat with their backs against the sinks, with Lydia taking deep breaths as she prepared herself to tell Georgiana her story.

"You already know that my dad died from smoke inhalation after he fought his way back into our burning B&B to get me, when I had snuck out to go to a friend's party. I was fourteen at the time and I felt guilty for causing my father's death, my whole world was turned upside down. Lizzy and Jane became my legal guardians, they've been the closest thing I have to a mother because I never knew ours. It started with me bunking off school, smoking when I had never smoked before, drinking myself into passing out at parties, refusing to listen to my sisters. I ran away overnight once, stayed at a friend's without telling my sisters and they called the police to report me missing but that was only the beginning." Lydia started.

"What happened next?" Georgiana said quietly, her voice full of fear.

"I turned fifteen in March this year and my best friends held a birthday party for me at Yasmin's house, her parents were on holiday. Jessica invited her brother and his older friends to 'supervise' the party and that's when I met Jamie Smith. He was the stereotypical bad boy, tattoos everywhere, smoked and did drugs, had been in prison, didn't take shit from anyone. But he made me feel like I was the only one that mattered and we started 'seeing' each other. One night, when I was over at his flat, we got drunk and that night I lost my virginity to him, when I was completely out of my senses and wasn't in a fit state to consent, not that I could consent because I wasn't sixteen yet." Lydia explained.

Taking a breath, Georgiana didn't say anything just yet but Lydia could tell that she was feeling nervous as her friend was nibbling on her knuckles as she continued to tell her tale.

"That was about two weeks after my birthday, at the end of March I met more of his 'friends'. Jamie's control started to become greater over me and he started making me stay at his and there were other days he would keep me locked in his flat until by the start of April, he started forcing me to sleep with his friends to cancel gambling debts he had with them. By the end of April, I knew I was in some deep trouble but I had nobody to turn to. My sisters had reported me missing at the end of March because I was never home, I was always at Jamie's and wasn't attending school. I had never felt so desperate, so scared, that I managed to get away from Jamie and his 'friends' by smashing the window and climbing down the drainpipe but not without taking some of the sleeping pills that Jamie gave me if I really didn't want to settle one of his debts. I walked through the streets as I went home, I stopped in a field and took some of my dad's old sleeping tablets. As I was getting groggy, I was found by my dad's friend. After an admission to hospital, I was home schooled for a month before I returned to school the first week of June, when I found photoshopped pictures of my head attached to porn star's bodies promoting prostitution. I dropped out after that week of hell, I went to counselling with Jane and Lizzy and the decision was made for me to have a fresh start in Portsmouth when my two best friends started sending threatening messages through our letterbox." Lydia finished.

Georgiana shook her head when Lydia finished telling her story, trying to process just how much danger Lydia had been in with Jamie. For Lydia, she felt a little more relieved now that someone knew what had happened to her and she hoped it would prevent Georgiana from deciding it wasn't worth living.

"It might not feel like it now, but you will get through this." Lydia muttered.

Georgiana sniffed, rubbing her eyes before the two friends met each other's gaze.

"What happened to Jamie?" Georgiana asked.

"He's in prison, he goes to trial in two weeks. I have to take a day off to go and give my testimony in court. If the jury find him guilty, he's looking at a minimum term of eight years." Lydia replied.

"I'm…so…sorry, Lydia." Georgiana whispered.

"It's okay. I'm just trying to move on from it all. It's given me a new perspective on things."

"Does it ever get better? The orphan part?"

Lydia shrugged.

"I miss my dad every day, sometimes I feel lonely without him, I feel upset that he's not here with me and my sisters but I don't feel guilty any more. I suppose we just find a way to carry on without them."

Georgiana nodded, looking up at the ceiling.

"I wish my dad was still here, I wasn't ready for him to go." Georgiana admitted.

"Neither was I." Lydia sighed.

"Laura was my best friend since we were three years old. When my dad died, Laura made sure we did something every day so I wouldn't feel this pain, this emptiness, the loneliness. But now, what am I supposed to do? She's been pretending this time, using me…"

"I will help you through this, Georgie," Lydia promised, wrapping an arm around her friend's shoulder, "You need to feel those negative emotions in order to feel better. It sucks, it's horrible, but your dad wouldn't want you to be distracted."

Georgiana sniffed again and nodded. For a moment, the two of them sat there in silence until Lydia heard the bell indicating the start of fifth period. Getting to her feet, she helped Georgiana up and picked up their schoolbags, telling the blonde-haired girl what she had done and that Laura was going to be in big trouble.

"You really did that?" Georgiana asked, a slight smile forming on her face.

Lydia nodded, the two of them walking across the playground and into the corridors.

"The fastest I ever ran I swear. But seriously, I had to do something. I couldn't let her post that video online." Lydia replied.

"Thank you, Lydia."

Lydia returned Georgiana's grateful smile and led her friend up to the medical room, hoping that only good things would be around the corner for both of them.

ooOoo

Elizabeth sat outside the doctor's office, sipping at the lukewarm cup of tea she had bought from the vending machine in the hospital corridor. It was nearly half past two and she had been sat at Queen Alexandra hospital with Georgiana Darcy for most of the afternoon because her boss had come to her with concerns that Georgiana had tried to commit suicide in the girls toilets during fourth period, only for her to get the full extent of the situation from Lydia when her sister had brought Georgiana to the medical room. Elizabeth had taken a bottle of sleeping pills from Georgiana's bag, noting that they were prescribed to an Alice Reynolds and examined Georgiana, but despite her own examination and Georgiana's insistence that she hadn't taken any because Lydia had caught her, Catherine pressured her into taking Georgiana to QA for a full assessment followed by a talk with a counsellor. It had certainly been one of the more dramatic days she had had at work.

She looked up as she heard a door open and footsteps enter the empty corridor, giving William Darcy a small smile as he sat down next to her.

"Thanks for staying with Georgiana, I wish I could have gotten here earlier but I had to have a meeting with the police and Catherine regarding the Laura Annesley matter." William said.

"It's no trouble, it's part of my job to stay with the student until the next of kin can arrive." Elizabeth informed him.

She could tell that he was hesitating about something, like he was trying to determine whether he should say what he wanted to say, mixed with a look of worry. Giving him an assuring smile, she placed her hand on his shoulder as a gesture of encouragement, which he took.

"How do you do it? Georgie mentioned a while back that you have no parents either, that you're Lydia's legal guardian. How did you cope with the transition from sibling to parent?" Will asked.

Elizabeth gave a light laugh, not one of amusement, a laugh of absurdness. She drank the rest of her lukewarm tea in one mouthful and chucked the plastic cup in the bin next to the bench where she sat.

"We didn't. My father died from smoke inhalation when our B&B caught fire, he ran back into the house because he thought Lydia was still sleeping when actually she had snuck out to go to a friend's party. When my dad died, Jane and I tried to talk to Lydia, but she didn't want to grieve with us, she started being a rebellious, out of control teenager, blaming herself for causing our dad's death when it wasn't her fault. We never blamed her but our attempts to coax Lydia out of her destructiveness failed. One night she stayed overnight with a friend without telling us, we called the police and then on her fifteenth birthday she met that man and everything got worse." Elizabeth said quietly.

William nodded his understanding.

"But after that experience with that man, she got better? She seems quite sensible now." Will noted.

"She is," Elizabeth agreed, "If anything her experience has matured her and she looks at things more clearly instead of actions first, consequences later. But she tried to commit suicide and luckily a friend of our dad found her in time when he was out walking his dog. She had a month off school and when she went back, a bullying campaign was formed against her. She dropped out of school and we went to counselling but her 'friends' kept posting stuff through our letterbox, we all agreed that Lydia needed a fresh start, in a new city and school to come to terms with everything."

"And how is she now?" William asked.

"She's coping. There are days we both have a down day but we talk more if something is bothering us, we don't keep secrets anymore. Honesty after what Lydia went through is best."

"Does she rebel if you try to have authority over her?"

"I don't really try to have authority over her now. Like I said, we talk and if there's something I don't agree with, Lydia doesn't pout over it because she's observes situations more clearly after her ordeal. I assume you're having trouble with Georgiana?"

William sighed heavily and nodded again.

"I'm out of my depth," he admitted, "I have no idea how to parent, how to be a CEO of a successful business, how to deal with all these demands and expectations that people want from me now. I knew my sister was vulnerable, Thursday is proof of that, but I didn't think she'd attempt suicide."

Elizabeth took hold of his hand and gave it a light squeeze. She had felt the same all those months ago, when she and Jane had gotten the call to tell them about Lydia.

"Don't be angry with her, that won't help either of you. I think that she was in a low place, trying to block out feelings of grief, what happened on Thursday night and then coming to school and finding out her best friend betrayed her and was threatening to post that video online, she probably felt pushed over the edge." Elizabeth said softly, in a low voice.

William sniffed as he wiped his eyes with his spare hand.

"This is my fault-"

"It's not your fault. You both lost your father, you both deal with it differently. From the sound of it, you're holding off the process because you have a lot to deal with. You need to remember not to blame yourself, you probably tried everything you could think of when you got thrown into the deep end of parenting a teenage girl."

"She's all I have left."

She squeezed his hand again, feeling sympathy for what he was going through. Both the Darcy siblings were having a rough time at the moment.

"I wish I could bring our parents back for her. We lost our mother seven years ago, a heart attack because she had a heart condition that weakened her no matter what treatment she was on. And now with dad gone, I don't know how to go on."

"That's what the counsellor is for," Elizabeth assured him, "They'll help start the healing process, work with you to find a positive balance and can help you grieve."

William nodded again, smiling up at her through red, puffy eyes.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"She's in the doctor's office with the counsellor, they wouldn't let me go in." Elizabeth replied.

William stood up from his chair, thanking her again for staying with Georgiana, but before he knocked on the door to the doctor's office, Elizabeth asked for his phone. With a puzzled expression, he handed over his mobile phone and watched as she typed her number into his contact list.

"If you need to talk, about Georgiana, about your dad, about parenting, about the weather, anything, I've put my number in your phone." Elizabeth smiled, offering him his phone back.

William returned her smile and bade her goodbye as he knocked on the door to the doctor's office and entered, closing the door behind him.

ooOoo

When Elizabeth arrived home a little while later, it was to her aunt making dinner for the four of them and uncle Ed sitting in the living room watching Countdown. She went through and sat down next to her uncle, who pressed the mute button on the TV remote.

"How's Georgiana Darcy?" Ed asked.

"She's at the hospital with her brother, a doctor and a counsellor. She's going to be taking some time off school for a while." Elizabeth replied.

"Has Catherine approved that?" Ed questioned.

Elizabeth shrugged.

"It's my medical opinion as the school nurse. I have to ensure the wellbeing of every student at Rosings Park. Georgiana would have taken those pills if Lydia hadn't walked in and stopped her, she may not have survived it, if nobody had found her in time. She's going through a really rough time at the moment, she needs to come to terms with everything, like Lydia had to." Elizabeth explained.

"She certainly does," Ed agreed, "You might want to go and check on Lydia, she was sent home after finding Georgiana because she couldn't focus on the rest of her lessons."

Elizabeth nodded, getting up from the sofa and heading upstairs, knocking on Lydia's bedroom door. She opened it, seeing her little sister laying on her double bed reading a book.

"Hey, I thought I'd come and see how you're doing?" Elizabeth asked.

Lydia shrugged, folding a tiny triangle in the top corner of the page she was reading before closing the book shut.

"I couldn't focus on my lessons for the rest of the day, I was too worried about Georgie. I still am. How is she?" Lydia asked.

"To be honest? A wreck which is to be expected after what she's been through. She's going to be off school for a while, and I think you should take a few days to process today's events."

"I'll be fine, Lizzy."

"Medical opinion," Elizabeth smiled, "At least think about it overnight? Let me know in the morning whether you feel up to going to school or not and I'll report you as sick."

"I will do. Do you think I should text Georgiana or go and see her?"

"Give her some time, she knows you're there for her."

Lydia nodded.

"I told her, about what I went through. To let her know that I understood how she felt and what she was going through."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. It was the first time that they had told anyone outside of the family what had happened over the past year. But she could see that Lydia felt slightly better after confiding in a friend, she looked more at ease.

"I'm happy that you told her. I think that the two of you may be able to help each other with your similar ordeals."

"I want to help her get through this."

"You will. Just remember, it's still very raw for Georgiana, it will take time."

"I know, it's still taking me time too." Lydia said quietly.

Elizabeth gave her sister's hand a light squeeze. She knew that Lydia had come a long way since June, but it would still take a while for Lydia to fully come to terms with her ordeal and be at ease.

"I'm proud of you, for what you did today. You saved a life and stopped Laura Annesley from circulating that video." Elizabeth stated, smiling at her sister.

Lydia returned her smile.

"It was the right thing to do."

But they couldn't continue their conversation as they heard Maddie calling their names from the bottom of the stairs. Getting up from the bed, the two sisters headed downstairs to share a family meal.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** Thank you for those who reviewed chapter fifteen, I know it was a heavy chapter but now you know what Lydia has gone through and she's using her experiences to help Georgiana through hers. I would also like to apologise for the lack of weekly chapters since I last updated, I've been severely ill with flu that I couldn't even get out of bed to care for my own needs, my partner even had to take time off work to look after our three children. But that's not the only reason I've not had much time for writing. The other reason is that I may soon have to go to court to appeal a decision regarding my daughter's future education, I've never had to do this before but right now my daughter has to come first. That includes my degree, my current module I'm studying and writing. I may have to defer my third year and pick it up again in October this year but one step at a time.

So please understand that I won't be updating AHK on a weekly basis at the moment, I will continue with this story as and when I have the time to do so but at the moment my daughter has to come first. Thank you all for your understanding and patience.

 **Chapter Sixteen**

"So, Miss Bennet, tell me about the events over the last two weeks."

Ever since she had begun counselling when she started Rosings back in September, she hated going to her counselling sessions. It wasn't the fact that the counselling was to help her come to terms with what happened or the fact that she hated talking about her ordeal with Jamie, it was the counsellor himself because her original counsellor had gone on maternity leave. Mr. Collins looked like he was part of the old-fashioned furniture that sat in his office, a smell of rotten eggs always aired in the room and then there was the fact that over the past few weeks since Lizzy had been in close talks with him about setting up a counselling session for Georgiana when she returned to school, she had caught Mr. Collins giving her sister a creepy, leery, lovesick puppy look that her sister was oblivious to.

"It's been two weeks since I found Georgiana about to take that pill and as you're aware, I had to give evidence in court two days ago," Lydia summed up, boredom present in her voice.

Mr. Collins gave a slow nod, folding his hands together as he stared at her from the other side of his desk.

"How did you feel? Giving evidence?" he asked.

Lydia took a few moments before she answered. She had been dreading the day she had to go to court in Ipswich to give evidence against Jamie but it hadn't actually been as bad as she had thought it would be. Jane had been able to stay with her in a separate room with a video link camera set up so she didn't have to take to the witness stand, along with a support worker whilst she was asked questions by both Jamie's lawyer and the prosecution lawyer.

"I felt scared, I felt angry that they tried making out that it was my fault but the prosecution lawyer was more sympathetic towards me when it was her turn to question me. When we were waiting for the jury to decide their verdict, I felt anxious. When they found Jamie guilty and the judge gave him a sentence of nine years, I felt relieved. Is that enough of a summary for you?" Lydia said.

Mr. Collins shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"It's my place to ask you about your feelings regarding your experiences." Mr. Collins said softly.

"I know, I just feel frustrated because we cover feelings in every session."

"And are you feeling better regarding the situation with Miss Darcy?"

Lydia nodded. It had been two weeks since she had prevented Georgiana from trying to commit suicide. Her friend was officially signed off from attending school until the New Year and from her text message exchanges with Georgie, her friend was attending private counselling on the NHS and having her schoolwork sent home every day, but Georgie still remained the same; only her friend felt less suicidal as she learned to cope with everything that had happened.

Luckily for Lydia, the end of the day bell was ringing throughout the school. Picking up her schoolbag, she got up from the chair she had been sitting in and bade the counsellor goodbye; only to be called back by Mr. Collins.

"Miss Bennet, I wanted to ask you something on a more personal level. Something to which I'm not asking as your counsellor." Mr. Collins muttered.

Lydia raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

Mr. Collins took a gulp of air, as if trying to pluck up the courage for something.

"I was wondering…if your sister…Elizabeth….was currently…attached…to anybody." The counsellor mumbled.

Lydia had to bite her lip from laughing out loud. For one thing, she knew that Elizabeth would think that the school's counsellor was a bit creepy. The second thing, Lydia thought it was completely inappropriate for her counsellor to ask her if her sister was single.

"Sir, I don't think you should be asking me that. It goes beyond a teacher-student acquaintance." Lydia said in reply.

Mr. Collins instantly looked embarrassed and muttered something about her being right, and he was sorry that he even thought of asking her. Lydia bade him goodbye again and left his office, walking down the corridor and met Elizabeth outside the medical room.

"How was your day?" Lydia asked.

"Not overly exciting, I'm looking forward to tonight." Elizabeth replied.

Lydia raised an eyebrow as she linked arms with her sister and the two of them left the school and made their walk home. Over the past two weeks, she had seen her sister smile a lot more than usual and she guessed it had something to do with William Darcy since the two of them were constantly texting and had met up four times for a walk or coffee.

"Are you now?" Lydia said, a teasing tone present in her voice.

Elizabeth laughed.

"I just meant it will be nice to spend some time with Will, to talk to each other about our experiences. I'm sure you think it's good for you to talk to Georgiana when she wants to talk."

"Is that all it is? Because you have a different smile on your face whenever you exchange text messages."

Elizabeth paused for a moment as they carried on walking, crossing over the roads until they were walking past Southsea Common.

"I wasn't aware that I could have a different smile." Elizabeth mused.

Lydia rolled her eyes, noting her sister's attempts to not talk more about William Darcy and the friendship they had suddenly built over the past two weeks.

"You do," Lydia stated, "It's the kind of smile that makes you think he's a genuinely nice bloke."

"He does seem to be a kind man, a kindness that was hidden from me when we first met."

"That's because you had George persuading you otherwise."

Elizabeth nodded in agreement.

"At least he's finally got the message and left me alone. I thought I was going to have to change my phone number."

"Moving back on to the subject in hand, do you want some alone time with William tonight?"

Lydia felt her sister nudge her in the ribs as they turned into their aunt and uncle's road and continued walking.

"We're going to have dinner with the Darcys because it's Georgiana's birthday, it would be a bit inappropriate to have alone time with Will."

"Speaking of inappropriate behaviour, Mr. Collins asked me if you were attached to anyone."

Elizabeth's eyes widened.

"Really? Why would he ask a student that?"

"Have you seen the way Collins looks at you? He fancies the pants off you Lizzy, but you can do better in my opinion." Lydia replied.

"Do you want me to complain to Catherine?" Elizabeth asked.

"No. I told him he shouldn't have asked me that. I think he won't overstep the inappropriacy again." Lydia replied.

Elizabeth gave a sharp, understanding nod of the head as she placed her keys into the lock and opened the front door, with both sisters heading inside to spend a little bit of time with their aunt before getting ready for dinner at the Darcys.

ooOoo

"Georgie," Will called from the bottom of the stairs, "Lydia and Elizabeth will be here in a minute."

He heard the light jogging from his sister's bedroom and seconds later she joined him at the bottom of the staircase, dressed in a causal blue tunic dress and black leggings with her blonde curls loose around her shoulders. Today his baby sister had turned sixteen and it was the first birthday that Georgiana hadn't been fussed about. He couldn't blame her, she'd had a rough time lately but they'd had good news ever since Georgiana had been caught by Lydia. Gregory had handed himself into the police after being pressured to do so by his mother and had already gone to court to give his plea. He pleaded guilty to attempted rape, and with other girls coming forward to tell their own ordeals at the hands of Gregory, he had been found guilty of rape. He was to be sentenced in the New Year. As for Laura Annesley, she had been charged with child pornography by the police, had been given a four-year suspended sentence which Will had explained to Georgie that if Laura committed another crime in the next four years, she would be sentenced for whatever future crime and be forced to serve the four-year suspended sentence on top of any other sentence given. Laura also had to sign the sex offenders register for the next ten years of her life, had been excluded from Rosings Park and had been served with a court order not to contact any member or relative of the Darcy family or otherwise risk starting her suspended sentence.

"Thank you, for agreeing not to make too much fuss." Georgiana said quietly.

"It's your birthday, Georgie. If this is how you want to spend it, then we will." Will replied.

"I want to spend it with people that matter. You, Alice. Lydia has been there for me so much since everything happened and Elizabeth has been really supportive to both of us too. I think this is just a small token of appreciation in comparison."

"I agree, the Bennet sisters have been very supportive. They're nice girls."

"We both know how nice you think Elizabeth is considering you've been spending a lot of time with her recently."

William felt a little stunned at his sister's teasing and small smile, it was the first time she had felt like doing so in the past two weeks.

"I won't deny that I like her but tonight is about you."

Georgiana walked past him and tapped him on the arm, saying nothing more as she went into the living room. William walked into the kitchen, checking the clock on the wall to see what the time was. Over the past two weeks, he had taken Elizabeth up on her offer to talk. Their first chance to talk had been two days after Georgiana had been caught by Lydia, his sister had been laying on the sofa all day hardly saying anything and because he hadn't wanted to push Georgie into talking, he had called Elizabeth to ask for her advice on what to do. Elizabeth had assured him that Georgiana would talk in her own time, she probably just wanted to be in a familiar and safe environment with people she could actually trust, and Elizabeth had encouraged him to just softly say to his sister that he was there if she wanted or needed anything. After getting off the phone with Elizabeth, he had taken her advice and Georgiana had sat up, switched off the TV and stated that she wanted to do something that they hadn't done for a while; they played a card game called cheat. So the three of them sat at the kitchen table, each taking turns to try and rid themselves of their cards in order to win and Will had found himself losing every time he tried to cheat and say he was getting rid of three twos or four threes. After playing countless rounds of the game, Alice called an end to their playing and started to cook dinner for the three of them.

The card game gave Will a chance to reflect on how Georgiana had been. His sister hadn't really smiled much and she didn't laugh but he could tell that the card game was a good distraction for her to stop her from dwelling on what had happened over the previous few days. Since then, they had been attending twice weekly counselling sessions and Georgie was getting her homework sent home either via Lydia, Kit and Mary, Charles or even their cousin Anne. He also had chatted with Elizabeth on a daily basis, mostly swapping text messages but they had met up for a coffee after school hours during the week and they had eaten lunch together when his aunt had demanded his presence at a school governor's meeting last week and it was during that lunch that he had extended a dinner invitation to the Bennet sisters for Georgiana's birthday; something which Georgiana was happy about.

"Relax, Fitzwilliam. It's not as if you have the TPA partners coming round to celebrate Georgiana's birthday." Alice chuckled.

"I just want Elizabeth and Lydia to feel comfortable here. I just want Georgiana to have a good evening despite what she's been through lately." William sighed.

Alice patted him on the arm reassuringly.

"I'm sure the Bennet sisters will feel comfortable here and as for Georgiana, I think this is what she needs. She didn't want a big fuss after everything that's happened. Give her some time, it's what you both need in order to come to terms with everything."

"I just worry about her."

"I know you do. We all do. I know I probably shouldn't but I've always looked upon you and Georgiana as if you were my own children, I know I will never replace your mother and I would never try to, but you aren't alone in this, Fitzwilliam. I'm here to share the worry with you if you need me to, if Georgiana needs a shoulder to cry on, I'll be that as well. Whatever the two of you need, you don't need to ask."

There was a sudden knock at the door, indicating the arrival of Elizabeth and Lydia. Will gave Alice a quick smile as his housekeeper walked into the living room to join Georgiana whilst he went to answer the door.

ooOoo

The evening started off with the exchange of birthday gifts. Georgiana had already received most of her gifts from her family earlier in the morning so she only had to open the gifts she had received from Kit and Mary Bartholomew, which turned out to be a pair of skinny jeans and a red top. Lydia and Elizabeth had bought her a book of songs for her to play on the piano and a gift voucher for one of the clothes shops that Georgiana liked to shop at.

Next, they looked at menus for the Chinese takeaway that the Darcy siblings preferred. They had agreed to get a mixture of food that they could all help themselves to. Will called the takeaway shop whilst Georgiana turned on the Wii and loaded up Mario Kart, giving Lydia, Elizabeth and Will the spare controllers. Once Will had placed the order, the four of them sat down; with Will and Elizabeth on the sofa and the two teenagers sitting on the floor in front of them whilst Alice occupied the armchair. They played several rounds of Mario Kart, with Will tying in third place with Elizabeth whilst Georgiana came in second place and Lydia came in first place with the number of wins per course they raced. The Wii was switched off when the delivery man knocked on the door with their food order.

Georgiana set the food up on the kitchen table whilst Alice gave everyone plates and cutlery, with all five of them helping themselves to the mixture of food that they had ordered and sat in the living room, switching on the TV to watch the soaps as Georgiana requested. Will couldn't help but watch Elizabeth closely, paying attention to how she ate with her right hand, noting that as they sat next to each other on the sofa, her left foot twitched in the air as she crossed her left leg over her right, and as he looked at the right side of her face, he noticed closely the little freckle that she had by her ear. He had always noticed that her eyes sparkled whenever she laughed or smiled, that was one of the first things he had always noticed about her during his first observations, but he took the time to pay attention to her facial features a little closely as the EastEnders theme tune played on the TV. Her lashes were long, framing her eyes so perfectly that most women would kill to have those lashes naturally instead of having to resort to fake ones or extension mascara. Her nose was small and buttoned and whenever she smiled, he noticed the tiny dimples in her cheeks. And then it was that shade of green, a unique shade that he hadn't ever come across before. Like emeralds. Those eyes had haunted him from the beginning, in a good way. Her eyes were like hooks for the soul, and once he had found himself attracted to Elizabeth Bennet, he knew that nobody else would captivate him the way she had.

Once the soaps were over and everyone had finished with their food, Alice took to clearing up the plates whilst Georgiana and Lydia headed upstairs for some 'teenage time', leaving him alone with Elizabeth in the living room.

"Would you like a glass of wine?" Will asked.

Elizabeth smiled and shook her head.

"Thank you, I would but I have work tomorrow and wine tends to make me a little giddier than other alcoholic drinks." She replied softly.

He observed that she turned to face him properly, tucking her legs underneath her backside as she shifted to seat herself more comfortably; her head resting on her left hand.

"I understand, you have work tomorrow." Will smiled back.

"I'm already on wafer thin ice with my boss."

"I can talk to my aunt if she's giving you a hard time."

"Thank you for the offer. But I can handle Catherine, she didn't like it that I signed Georgiana off from school until the end of January. She is more concerned about the reputation of Rosings than she is of her niece's wellbeing."

"I'll agree with you there. Not once has she asked me how Georgie is and how she's coping, she's more concerned about dragging me into the governor's meetings and this Christmas ball she's hosting at the school when the kids break up for the holidays." Will sighed.

"Are you going, to the Christmas ball?" Elizabeth asked.

"I have to, Catherine wants to maintain the Darcy presence at her school. To be honest, the only reason she wants me there is to show off the fact that I'm single to her friend's daughters in hopes of me taking an interest in one of them and gaining a favour in return because their daughter is dating her nephew." Will replied.

"And you haven't found anyone you like?"

He paused for a moment, keeping close eye contact with her as he considered what she had asked. The honest answer to her question was that yes, he did like someone. Her. But now wasn't the time or the place to confess his attraction and feelings to Elizabeth.

"I don't have a lot of good experience when it comes to dating women." Will admitted quietly.

"Don't beat yourself up, we all have bad relationships." Elizabeth said encouragingly, reaching out to give his hand a squeeze.

For a moment, they gazed at each other and leaned a little closer to each other that he could smell the fruity fragrance of the perfume she wore on her neck. His heart was beating faster in his chest as he noticed her eyes shift from the contact she had maintained with him to look at his lips, at least for the moment it seemed that there were no hesitations about what seemed to be happening naturally.

But before he could sample the texture of her lips in a kiss, they were interrupted by the sound of footsteps and seconds later, Alice put her head around the door and announced she was turning in for the night.

ooOoo

Upstairs in Georgiana's room, the new CD that Georgiana had been given for her birthday played on a low volume in the background as Georgiana sat on her bed painting Lydia's nails. The night had so far gone as she had wanted. Nobody treated her any differently because of her recent ordeal with Gregory and Laura, for the first time in the two weeks since she had tried to overdose on Alice's sleeping pills, she felt somewhat normal having people who genuinely cared about her around her.

"So, all in all, have you had a good birthday?" Lydia asked.

Georgiana shrugged, focusing on applying the purple paint to Lydia's nails.

"I just wanted something lowkey. It's been a good distraction from everything that's happened I suppose." She replied.

"It might have been what you needed. It's definitely something I was looking forward to after giving my testimony in court."

Georgiana bit her lip as she considered asking Lydia about the trial. She knew that she wasn't required to testify against Gregory, her statement she had given to the police would be enough at his sentencing because he had pleaded guilty, he would be tried by a judge alone. As she finished applying the coat of polish to Lydia's last nail, the two friends made eye contact.

"Ask me what you need to ask, I can tell that you're debating something." Lydia smiled.

"I was just wondering…how was it…giving evidence…did it bring you closure?" Georgiana asked.

Lydia gave a light exhale of breath as she blew on her nails to encourage the polish to dry.

"I wasn't in the same room as him, I was allowed to give evidence in a separate room via a video link. It was still terrifying, being questioned like that by Jamie's lawyer but the prosecution was more sympathetic to me. But you won't have to worry about that, Gregory isn't going to trial because he's already pleaded guilty, Jamie was adamant from the moment he was arrested that he was innocent. As for the closure part, I'm over the moon that he's been sent to prison but what I went through…I can't change that…I will always have to live with the ordeal I went through but in time, I hope I won't feel disgusted with myself and I hope that I can make amends to my sisters and one day, fall madly in love with someone who won't do terrible things to me like Jamie did." Lydia explained.

Georgiana nodded, understanding what Lydia meant by what she had said. She too hoped that one day she could have friends who hadn't used her like Laura had done for so many years. As for the relationship part, she was swearing off boys for the foreseeable future. She couldn't trust herself to have feelings for someone like she had developed for Gregory, feelings she had once felt for Denny; only to be hurt because Denny had lost his virginity to Laura when they had already established to each other how they felt. Laura had told her that Denny had been using her, that he told her that he believed her to not be genuinely interested in him when it came to a physical part of a relationship and had slept with her backstage during a rehearsal because he wanted to stop being a virgin. Now she realised that Laura had probably lied about Denny as well as everything else she had lied about. If it turned out that Laura had lied about the incident with Denny, how could she make amends to him? It had been nearly two years since Laura had told her about the Denny incident and she had treated him so badly afterwards? She never stuck up for Denny whenever Laura ridiculed him in front of their peers and she basically froze him out whenever he attempted to speak with her.

"Has Elizabeth, by any chance, been a little different lately? I just say because I noticed the way she and my brother interacted tonight and Will's been getting a soppy look in his eyes whenever he talks to her or texts her when they're apart." Georgiana smirked.

Lydia returned her smirk and chuckled lightly.

"My sister has a different sort of smile on her face whenever she gets a message from him." Lydia agreed.

Georgiana dipped the polish brush back into the bottle and started to apply some polish to Lydia's unpainted hand.

"Call it something to focus on if you like. But I think our siblings like each other and knowing Will, he's too frightened to ask her out on a date because of past experiences. How about we give them a little nudge of encouragement?" Georgiana suggested.

Lydia raised an eyebrow.

"Why do I get the feeling that this is a sibling version of the parent trap?"

Georgiana gave a light giggle.

"I suppose it is." She agreed.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Thank you all for your messages of support, it is much appreciated. At the moment, I don't have to go to court because I've reached an agreement of sorts with the local authority but the months ahead still have a long road that I have to travel down because my local authority can still deny my daughter what she needs for her future education but I'm hoping that won't be the case.

Now on with chapter seventeen. This one is a lot lighter than the darker one's that I've posted recently. This story still has a lot to explore and I will post when I can.

 **Chapter Seventeen**

 _"I have to admit, these charity balls at Rosings aren't really my thing." Will chuckled._

 _Elizabeth led him inside her medical room, switching on the light and shutting the door behind them._

 _"Why not? Is it all the men wanting to talk business or all the eligible women under the age of thirty who probably only came to a Rosings Park school charity event in order to impress you?" Elizabeth teased._

 _Will rolled his eyes._

 _"I probably sounded a little egotistical when I told you that." he muttered._

 _She handed him the packet of paracetamol out of her bag and with a reassuring smile, she shook her head. Will watched her as she went over to the water tank and poured him a cup of water before she handed it over to him. Placing two tablets into his mouth, he took a large gulp of water and swallowed, hoping that the paracetamol would kick in quickly and help with the pounding in his head. Will thanked her and handed her back the packet and chucked the empty plastic cup in the bin._

 _"I didn't think you did." Elizabeth replied._

 _Will returned her warm smile and took her hand, stroking her palm gently._

 _"Good, for some reason, your opinion matters to me."_

 _He noticed that she had shifted a little closer to him, closer that he could hear her breathing. Her eyes had moved from the contact they had shared with his and they seemed to have moved to look at his lips. Will hoped that he was reading the situation right, but he didn't hesitate when he closed his eyes, tilted his head down and pressed his lips lightly to hers._

 _Their lips moved together slowly, taking note to the texture of each other's lips before Will folded a hand into loose brown waves of her hair, silently noting to himself that her hair was softer than he had imagined whenever he had thought about her. He broke away from her, hearing the small disappointed moan that escaped her lips as they opened their eyes and looked at each other. Will moved closer to her, cupping her face with one hand while the other placed itself lightly on her hip, his heart was beating faster in his chest, he felt that now he had kissed her, he didn't ever want to stop. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his once again, this time moving her lips with his more enthusiastically as her hands wove into his curly hair, backing them both to the nearest wall. He hoisted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist, pushing the hem of her floor length dress up her thighs…_

Will opened his eyes, breathing fast. He sat up in his bed, wiping the sweat off his forehead as he did so. It was the third time since the Christmas ball that he had had a dream like that about Elizabeth and he was in two minds about it. The first was wishing he could dream more than waking up at the moment he lifted her up and the other was partly wishing he would stop having these dreams. To him, the dreams meant that he was seeing their friendship on another level and whilst he knew that he liked her, he wasn't sure if she felt the same way. There was also the fact that they'd only been friends for a short period and she was providing advice and support to him in a time he was in crucial need of someone experiencing the same thing as he was when it came to parenting his teenage sister.

"Pull yourself together, Will." He muttered to himself.

He tried laying back down and closing his eyes, shifting his position as he tried to get comfortable. But he couldn't. His dream kept coming back into his mind whenever he tried to drift off to sleep again. Eventually, he huffed to himself, pushed back the covers and got out of bed; pulling on his dressing gown as he quietly left his bedroom and went downstairs.

The clock on the microwave indicated that the time was nearly four in the morning. Will filled up the kettle with fresh water before setting it to boil in order to make himself a cup of tea. He knew there was more than just his hesitance of his friendship with Elizabeth that prevented him from asking her out. His past experiences with women weren't exactly something he was proud of. First there had been his first serious girlfriend, Eleanor. He had met Eleanor when he was in his first year of university, she had been one of his roommates, along with Charles and another girl named Penny. He had dated Eleanor for a year before she expected a proposal and they went their separate ways. At twenty, his mother had died and shortly after he had met Sarah. On his twenty-first birthday they became an official couple and he fell head over heels in love with Sarah and well…that relationship had ended five years ago when she had made her confession about everything. His whole relationship with Sarah had been a lie.

Making himself a cup of tea, he went to sit in the living room. Will switched on the lamp, only to see his little sister sat in the dark.

"Georgie, what are you doing?" he yawned.

Georgiana shrugged.

"I couldn't sleep. Sometimes when I can't sleep I sit in the dark, imagine that you, Alice and Dad are sleeping upstairs still. But I know dad isn't. Sometimes I go up to his room, I open the door and his scent is still there. Call me sad and pathetic if you want but it makes me feel that he isn't completely gone." Georgiana said quietly.

Will put his cup of tea on the coffee table and sat on the sofa next to her.

"It isn't sad or pathetic."

"Have you been in dad's room since he passed away?" Georgiana asked.

"No, I haven't." Will replied.

"I wish he was still here, Will. I hate this, every day I have to go on without him. He can't pick me up from school any more, I can't go and visit him at the hospice after school like I used to."

"I know, Georgie," Will sighed softly, ruffling her already messy hair, "I miss seeing him talk about the TPA things he was so passionate about, I miss the family card games on a Sunday afternoon."

"Is it terrible and horrible of me to say that I miss him more than I miss mum?" Georgiana asked, her voice low and full of self-hate.

This surprised Will. Georgiana was their mother's image aside from the curls and brown eyes which were a Darcy trait and being twelve years older than Georgie, he remembered that their mother had always had a very close bond with Georgie before she died. But he had been twenty when their mother had died and Georgie had only been eight.

"I suppose you were only eight when mum died, you might not have many memories of her."

"Not really."

There was moments silence between the two siblings as Will picked up his tea and took a mouthful. As he held the cup in his hands, it was what Georgiana said next which surprised him more.

"Will, can we go to dad's grave on Christmas day? We haven't been since the funeral and dad loved Christmas."

"Of course, we can. I think it will be good for us."

As he went to pick up the TV remote to see if there was anything on TV at this time of the morning, Georgiana continued their conversation on.

"I haven't been Christmas shopping yet. I'm planning on going this afternoon with Alice and Lydia."

"Do you want me to come as well?" He asked.

His sister smirked, he wasn't sure why but Georgiana shook her head.

"No, it's fine. You should probably think of something for dinner."

"Good idea, it's been a while since I cooked a meal."

ooOoo

"Seriously Lydi, you leave your Christmas shopping too late!" Elizabeth complained.

The two sisters were sat at the dining table, each with a bowl of cereal and still dressed in their pyjamas. They had both broken up for the two-week school holidays four days ago, and it had been three days since Elizabeth had attended the Rosings staff Christmas ball.

Lydia rolled her eyes and chuckled lightly.

"I've always left it three days before Christmas day ever since I've been buying my own gifts to give to people. Besides, it's not like you have to take me shopping." Lydia pointed out.

"Are you sure Alice is okay taking you and Georgie out?"

"Yes, but Will has booked us a table for dinner at one of the fancier restaurants so dress up. Can you drop me over to Georgie's later this evening?"

"Why this evening?"

"Because Georgie and Will have a counselling session this afternoon and the shops don't close until nine-thirty in town and Gunwharf. So, we're eating at six and shopping after."

"Fair enough, but why do I have to come along?"

"Because Will invited us."

Elizabeth nodded and ate her cereal in silence. The Christmas ball had been an uncomfortable experience for her because she had been surrounded by the parents of the rich kids that attended the school as well as school governors, charity officials, associates of the rich parents and not just her colleagues. Her uncle and aunt had taken her shopping to buy a dress that was suitable for a Christmas charity ball and after trying on many of the evening dresses in Debenhams, she had eventually picked out a navy blue, floor length dress with short sleeves which had luckily been not too expensive. Lydia had been the lucky one, students weren't allowed to attend and had spent the evening at the Darcy's watching a movie with Alice and Georgiana. The ball itself had been something she hadn't been expecting. Waiters carried small trays of champagne and appetisers that didn't look too appealing for her stomach and that was the only source of food available whilst a band played music quietly on the stage in the main hall. Some couples were dancing and Charles's sister Caroline had given her the evil eye for half the night as she talked to Will Darcy.

Eventually, the excuse had been made that Will had a headache and didn't have any paracetamol on him to which, she offered her own and the two had escaped to the medical room where she had placed her bag for safekeeping at the start of the evening. They had stayed in the quietness of her medical room for a few minutes after he had taken the paracetamol and eventually she had felt that pull she had felt when the two of them had been sat on the sofa on the night of Georgiana's birthday two weeks ago. The connection that she had been feeling to Will over the past few weeks was definitely a strong one, it was like gravity was pulling them both together and she knew that when they would eventually share a kiss that hadn't been interrupted by his housekeeper or by his aunt as Catherine had done in the medical room, sparks would be flying.

The thought of having a romantic relationship with Will was something that appealed to her. They had definitely become closer over the past month and the rocky start they had when they first met was nearly forgotten but she knew that before she spoke with Will about the possibility of them becoming involved romantically, they would have to talk about her brief one with George Wickham.

Finishing off her cereal, Elizabeth took her bowl out to the kitchen before heading upstairs to get changed; leaving Lydia to slowly finish hers off.

ooOoo

Hearing the door knock as he placed the chicken to defrost in the microwave, Will quickly turned the timer dial and headed out to the hallway; opening the front door to find both Bennet sisters stood in the entryway.

"Hi, are Georgiana and Alice ready yet?" Lydia asked brightly.

"Yeah. They're in the living room, come on in." Will greeted.

He moved to the side to let them into the house, smiling warmly at Elizabeth when Lydia went through to the living room.

"Are you making something?" Elizabeth asked, hearing the sound of the microwave.

Will nodded.

"Defrosting some chicken so that I can make chicken fajitas for dinner." Will replied.

He watched as she frowned slightly and he wondered what had caused her to frown. But before he had the chance to ask her, their sisters and Alice came into the hallway; pulling on their coats and wearing wide smirks on their faces.

"Right, we're off now." Alice said brightly.

"Don't make any extra for us, we're eating out so you two can have some _alone_ time." Georgiana smirked.

"Have fun." Lydia sang.

"Hang on a moment Lydi-"

But the two adults couldn't ask what was going on because Alice led the two teenagers out the front door and with a parting and encouraging smile back at the two baffled adults, closed the door behind her. Will looked at Elizabeth, chuckling lightly as she took off her coat. As he took the coat and hung it up on the coat rack, he noted that she was wearing a green, casual evening wear tunic and black leggings, her loose waves cascaded around her shoulders and her green eyes were free of make-up.

"I guess I'm making dinner for two?" he questioned.

Elizabeth smiled and nodded.

"On the condition that you let me help."

Agreeing to her condition, the two of them went back into the kitchen and Will got the plate of defrosted chicken breast fillets out of the microwave. Elizabeth asked what she could do to help and he asked her if she could chop the bell peppers into strips. He watched out of the corner of his eye as he placed the plate of chicken on a free surface that she reached for the chopping board and knife before she softly said his name and he turned around to face her.

"Show me how you want them chopped, I might do it wrong." Elizabeth said.

Moving to stand behind her, he lightly placed his right hand on the bell pepper whilst he gently grasped her left with his and showed her how he usually prepared the peppers when he cooked chicken fajitas for dinner. As he let go of her hand and watched her cut the pepper, he got a whiff of peach lingering in her hair which made him breathe it in deeper as he took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he relived the dream he'd woken up from earlier this morning. Before he could open his eyes, he felt her head turn to his and she pressed her lips lightly to his before pulling away.

ooOoo

She had heard him breathe in the scent of her shampoo that happened to linger in her hair and being in his arms had her feeling warm and giddy in anticipation that this evening that the two of them would be sharing was supposed to be a romantic one. He was only supposed to be showing her how he preferred the peppers to be cut but being trapped between him and the kitchen counter, hearing him inhale the scent of her shampoo on top of the warm and happy looks and the moments they shared where it seemed they would have shared a kiss were proving too much for her. Turning her head, she saw his eyes were closed and she decided to be the one to initiate what they both seemed to be thinking about. Elizabeth pressed her lips lightly to his and kissed him, just a quick peck against his soft lips before pulling away.

Will had opened his eyes, a twinkle in his warm shade of brown. He looked at her blankly for a moment before she started to think that maybe she shouldn't have made a move on him.

"I'm sorry-"

But her apology was cut short when he closed his eyes, released her hand and the knife he had been using and enveloped them round her back as she turned in his arms. Once again, their lips met and this time there was no hesitation, no doubts as to whether this was the right thing. Elizabeth closed her eyes and her hands cupped his face, feeling the strong line of his jaw and the stubble that would be making an appearance on his face in the morning, having guessed that he had shaved the previous day. His lips were expertly moving over her own, soft and plump. She moaned softly when he pulled away from her, opening his eyes and sporting a little grin on his face.

"Now if you apologise for that, I may get offended." He warned jokingly.

She gave a light laugh, absentmindedly playing with the collar on his shirt as they maintained eye contact.

"I guess you've just confirmed that my kissing you was welcome." She said softly.

Will nodded, his forehead pressing against hers.

"I think we should move into the other room, suddenly I'm not that hungry."

Elizabeth took his hand in hers and led him through to the living room, sitting comfortably on the sofa and tucking her feet underneath her bottom as she sat. Will took to the space next to her as he continued to hold her hand.

"We haven't exactly had the best start since we first met." Will said.

"I think we've overcome that. We've both made our apologies to how we were with each other when we first met."

"But still, now that we've gone beyond the boundaries of friendship by kissing each other, I think we need to clear a few things up."

"Such as?" Elizabeth asked.

Will cleared his throat before elaborating.

"I haven't had a good track record with women romantically. During my teenage years at school, I was quite shy and often got nervous around girls that I liked. It took a lot of encouragement from Charles and my cousin Richard to come out of my shell. When I was in my last year of secondary school and during my two years at sixth form, I had 'relationships' and I lost my virginity to the girl I took to my sixth form graduation prom. I dated my first serious girlfriend, Eleanor, for a year when we were roommates at university. That relationship ended because she wanted a proposal, something which I wasn't ready for. My mother died when I turned twenty and it was then that I met Sarah. I fell head over heels for her. She listened to me and helped me grieve for my mother's death. We became a couple on my twenty-first birthday."

"I assume your relationship with Sarah ended badly?" Elizabeth asked.

Will looked away from her briefly as he nodded, as if he was reliving something quite painful.

"We got engaged shortly after. My father was overjoyed. He liked Sarah a lot, thought she had pulled out a different side to me that was rarely seen. The wedding was planned and booked, money was spent lavishly. I turned twenty-two and two weeks after that birthday I was saying my marriage vows to someone I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with. The rings were placed on our fingers, our families and friends cheered us on and I had never felt happier. Until we had signed the wedding certificate when Sarah broke down and confessed that our entire relationship had been a lie. She had been conspiring to get my family's money with a man I once considered one of my best friends."

Her stomach dropped. This had to be George.

"Wickham?" Elizabeth asked.

Will nodded again.

"George Wickham didn't exactly have a good life. He and Dennis pretty much had an absent father who was a drug addict and dealer, in and out of prison but his mother had known my father since they were children and my father helped the Wickhams out a lot. He gave George a good education, we all attended Rosings Park, he paid for George to get his teaching degree in P.E and helped him get his teaching position at Rosings upon graduation. But George was always jealous of the close relationship I had with my father. He resented me for having all this money and felt insulted that his family were basically seen as a 'charity case', his words not mine, and he wanted the Darcy fortune for himself. He seduced Sarah and convinced her that they would get her married to me, divorce me and take my money and then they would live a happy life in the Caribbean somewhere. Sarah confessed that when she first met me, it was all about the money, but she had seen that George's interpretations of me being a cold and heartless bastard were wrong, that I genuinely cared about others and not just myself. She confessed their plan and Wickham quit his job and left Portsmouth like the coward he is."

"That's awful, I'm so sorry." Elizabeth muttered.

William squeezed her hand and gave her an assuring smile.

"I don't know what Wickham told you about me but I guess that you realised that he was liar when you apologised to me on bonfire night."

"He told me the reverse of what you've just told me, except the part where the marriage actually happened."

"Well, he came back to Portsmouth about two years ago, on a permanent basis; our paths have rarely crossed."

"What happened to your marriage to Sarah?" she questioned.

"I went travelling for a while with Charles and Richard, mostly around Asia. I spent a little bit of time in Mali on TPA business and when I came back to the UK permanently, I had my marriage to Sarah annulled on the grounds that the marriage hadn't been consummated. She agreed through her lawyer as we had lost touch, until she made a reappearance at my father's funeral this summer," Will answered, "The reason I was so rude about you, what you overheard me say to Charles, is because that morning I had been under pressure from business partners so soon after my father's death and that morning Sarah and I had briefly met up to which I assume she wanted me back. I haven't had a relationship or any intimate connection with another woman since my wedding. I've had women like Caroline Bingley try and get me to respond to their flirtatious advances but she's not interested in me as a person, she's interested in what I represent."

Elizabeth nodded her understanding. It was clear as he had explained that his rudeness of their first few meetings had been down to immense pressure from business partners and the fact he hadn't had a genuine, secure and loving relationship with a woman who just wanted him and not his wealth, his business influence, the expensive lifestyle that his money could provide.

"I get it, I do. We all have bad experiences." Elizabeth muttered.

"I'm sure you haven't had to annul a marriage." Will said, his tone of voice in a jokey type of tone, as if he was trying to lighten the mood.

Elizabeth shook her head in agreement.

"I was fifteen when I met my first boyfriend. His name was Daniel. We were together throughout our last year at school, all the way through sixth form and our first year of university. We drifted apart so we ended it. But four years with someone you had a close bond with, it hurt when the relationship ended. I eventually moved on, I had a few dates but nothing serious. I got a job at my doctor's surgery after I graduated as a nurse practitioner. After working there for a few months, I agreed to date my co-worker, a GP called Oscar. We were together for just shy of a year before we parted ways."

"Why did your relationship with Oscar end?" Will asked.

"My father died. Oscar and I had plans to go and volunteer in some African villages on a charity scheme to provide locals with better medication and health checks. But with the fire and my father dying from smoke inhalation, my plans changed. I couldn't leave Jane to look after Lydia by herself and get the business up and running again so I stayed in Thurston and Oscar left for Africa. I haven't heard from him since we parted ways last year. Then my latest relationship, if you can even call six weeks a relationship, was with George Wickham." Elizabeth replied.

There was a brief and tense moment at the mention of Wickham, to which Elizabeth squeezed his hand and he looked back at her.

"Was it serious, with Wickham?" he questioned.

Elizabeth shook her head.

"We went on five dates, we kissed but it was never anything physical and after our argument at Tiger Tiger, I found him groping some girl hidden in a corner by the stage. I figured that since he had said he wanted me to be his girlfriend and be exclusive, he was a liar and it didn't take me long to realise that what he had told me about you had also been a bunch of lies." She answered.

"Wickham certainly has a talent for being charming and misleading."

"He does."

"So where does this leave us? We've both had bad and painful experiences with our past love lives and me telling you I've had a failed marriage and the fact you haven't run for the hills at that tells me that you're willing to take a risk on a man who is awful with women." Will laughed.

She hit him on the arm playfully with her free hand but smiled.

"I like you. A lot. I think me initiating the first kiss shows that I like you. But I know that you're in a fragile place right now, with everything that's happened with Georgiana and grieving for your father, I won't press you to start a romantic relationship with me when you really need a friend right now." Elizabeth said.

But he pressed his lips to hers once more and pulled away with a reassuring smile on his face.

"I really like you too," he whispered against her lips, "I agree that I'm quite fragile right now but I think that I want more than just a friend in you, I want a companion. A lover. A listener."

Smiling, Elizabeth pressed her lips back to his once more before leading him back into the kitchen, they were supposed to be enjoying a meal together after all.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: ** Thank you for the reviews on chapter seventeen, I'm glad you all liked it. I certainly liked reading your thoughts about it. Sadly no E&D moments together in this chapter but I hope you'll like it just the same. I've had a bit more free time this week, now that my daughter's education, for the moment, seems to be going in our favour but I will keep you updated if this changes.

My schedule is still pretty hectic. Whilst I don't have to prepare a court case against my local authority regarding my daughter's future education, I still have university on my hands so for the time being I won't be posting weekly but perhaps fortnightly instead. So I hope chapter nineteen will come before my kids break up for Feb half term in two weeks.

Enjoy :)

 **Chapter Eighteen**

The morning was crisp with frost, the paths covered with grit. Even the grass was crunchy and covered in snow as Will and Georgiana walked across it, weaving their way around many headstones until they stopped at the freshly made headstone that bore the names of their parents and their dates of birth and deaths. The two siblings placed their flowers down on the snow in front of the headstone, before Will wrapped an arm around his sister's shoulder and Georgiana cuddled into her brother; sniffing slightly.

"Hey, it's okay Georgie." Will whispered, resting his head on top of her own.

"I miss dad so much." Georgiana sniffed.

"I know, I miss him too. I wish I could bring him back, just so we both wouldn't feel so lost without him."

"Orphaned at fifteen, not many girls can say that."

Will shook his head.

"You still have me, you'll always have me." He promised.

"But you didn't ask for this. You didn't ask to be my guardian." Georgiana muttered into his shoulder.

Unwrapping his arm from around his sister, he placed both hands on her shoulders and turned her round to face him. Her pale face was streaming with light tears and it made his heart break. When their father had first been told, he had cancer nearly three and half years ago, at first Reginald had fought it hard. The chemotherapy had worked and the regular checkups his father had to have after the first operation to remove the tumour came back as fine. Until his father started getting headaches, was feeling more tired and was collapsing at the office; often having to stay at their London home in bed whilst Richard and he filled in for him. But then when they had gone back to the hospital his father had been treated at, they had been told that the cancer had come back. So, they had repeated the chemotherapy, the radiotherapy and the second tumour had been removed. The months that followed the removal of the second tumour had been long, exhausting but Reginald had recovered and had been in remission for six months. Until his father had started coughing up blood and had been in pain.

The third time they had gone back to the hospital, the news they had received had been what none of them had wanted to hear. The cancer was back but this time it was stronger and had started to spread to other parts of his father's body. That was when Reginald had quit being the CEO of TPA and had handed the reins over to William and Richard, mostly Richard. Alice had cared for Reginald at home in Portsmouth until the last two months when Reginald had moved into hospice care. For Will, it had meant that the time had come for preparations to be made. He helped his father organise his will, TPA had been divided fifty-fifty with him and Georgiana, with Richard being the trustee alongside of him for Georgiana's share in the company. The guardianship of his little sister had been left to him whilst the houses the two siblings owned equally. Will could easily remember the day that the lawyer and his father had gone over the will, with him promising his father that he would look after Georgie, no matter what.

"Now you hear me and listen. I promised dad that I would look after you, no matter what. I didn't promise him because you had nobody else to look after you, I didn't promise because I had no choice. I promised dad because I love you, Georgie. You're my sister and there is nothing I wouldn't do for you. I know it's been hard, it's certainly been a challenge and a rough transition as we try and find some middle ground between our relationship as siblings as well as a parent/child relationship but no matter what, I will _never_ walk away from you." Will vowed.

His sister seemed a little surprised at his words, and the tears flowed more freely down her cheeks but she said nothing; as if she was unsure of what to say.

"You've been a real pain in the arse at times. I know you feel empty, you feel lonely and lost but no matter what you throw at me, I won't leave you. I said there was nothing I wouldn't do for you and it's true. I think me punching that sicko and taking you straight to hospital and going to these therapy sessions proves how much you mean to me, Georgie. You're the _only_ thing that I have left of mum and dad, so please…just let me grieve with you. Break down into tears if that's what you need. Scream and shout. Laugh and smile. Just do it with me," he pleaded softly, "I won't think any less of you if do, because I will do it with you. You don't need to be strong for me, not when it comes to this. The only way we can go forward with our lives is if we grieve together. Not shut each other out or try and be a tyrant with my new role."

"I don't know how." Georgiana admitted, her voice breaking.

He felt his own tears leak from his eyes as he continued to lightly grasp her shoulders.

"Ever since that night I pulled you from Laura's, I feel like I've been walking on eggshells. I've not pressed you into doing anything you didn't want to do and I hate feeling like I have to wrap you in bubblewrap or treat you like a porcelain doll that will smash if I do force you to talk. I can see, even now, that you're trying not to let it all out, but I promise that if you do, I'll still be here; right next to you." Will encouraged softly.

Seeing her restraint snap, Georgiana threw herself into his arms and howled out the grief that she had been holding back from him ever since their father had died. Will held her tightly, letting his own tears fall and sobbing with her. The first few weeks, his sister had isolated herself away from the world and then she had tried distracting herself which had led to her situation with Gregory and Laura. And even in the weeks since Lydia Bennet had stopped his sister from attempting suicide, he felt that he shouldn't push her, like it had to be on his sister's terms if she wanted to talk and their therapy sessions mainly consisted of talking about how Georgiana was coping with her ordeal post Gregory and Laura; they had only talked about their dad once because Georgiana wasn't ready to open up about her feelings regarding their loss.

The two siblings stood the way they were for several minutes, with Will content to hold his sister and cry out their grief for as long as necessary. For the first time in months, he didn't feel like he was alone. He knew that he had Alice to talk to and three days ago, Elizabeth had agreed to explore a romantic relationship between the two of them, but when it came to the loss of his dad; he had felt alone because he had so much on his shoulders and the one person who might have understood, was keeping him at arm's length. But now, Georgiana had actually let her guard down and maybe she had done so because she felt that, finally, it was safe to do so.

He felt his sister look up at him and he looked down at her, both sharing a watery smile as Georgiana wiped the tears from his cheeks and sniffed. Her eyes were red, she was hiccupping slightly and her mascara and eyeliner made her look like she had panda eyes but he didn't care. All he cared about was being able to start a new year with his little sister with the understanding that she would always have him.

"I'm sorry, for everything that I've put you through over the past few months." Georgiana whispered.

"Don't apologise for dealing with your feelings the way you thought you could handle it best. I won't lie, it's been difficult but now you know and understand that I'm here. I'll always be here." Will stated.

Georgiana gave a nod before turning her attention back to their parent's grave.

"Do you believe in heaven, Will?" she asked.

Turning her around and wrapping an arm over her shoulder once more, he shrugged. He had never really thought about religion or heaven before. As a child, he had gone to church with their mother because their mother had been a little religious but that's as far as his experience with religion went.

"I don't know, Georgie. I like to think that dad's gone to a better place and he's found mum beyond death but that's about it." He replied honestly.

His sister nodded her head in agreement and saying a goodbye to their parents, the siblings turned around and made their way back to the car to share the Christmas dinner back at home with Alice.

ooOoo

"Lizzy, pull the cracker with me." Lydia smiled, offering out the other end of the cracker she was holding.

Elizabeth took the other end and pulled as hard as she could until they both heard that bang from the cracker, with Elizabeth taking the cracker and pulling out a red paper hat that she put on her head. Jane wore yellow one and Lydia had moved on to pull another cracker with Ed and finally squealed happily when she won the cracker pulling.

This Christmas had been an entirely different one. It was their second one since their father's death and their first one that they had been able to spend as sisters united. The previous year it had been the three of them in the guesthouse at Longbourn, with the main house started to undergo construction to repair it after the fire. Jane had cooked them all a turkey roast but Lydia had gone off on her own around the village for several hours before returning to Longbourn and hiding in her room for the rest of the day; just wanting to be alone. This year, they were together again but with their aunt and uncle; all of them happier than they had been the previous year. Although they missed their father greatly, the sisters had agreed that when Elizabeth and Lydia would visit Jane in the February half term, they would scatter their father's ashes in what had been his favourite part of the Longbourn grounds.

The five of them began to help themselves to the food that Maddie had placed on the dining table in front of them all as their aunt filled up their wine glasses, Lydia's was filled up with orange juice, and moments later, they were stuffing themselves full with roast turkey, roast potatoes, carrots, Brussel sprouts, peas, parsnip, broccoli, cauliflower, stuffing balls, pigs in blankets and slices of gammon and beef. It had so far been a simple yet lovely family celebration. Jane had arrived the previous morning and had announced that she taken Mrs. Hill, the housekeeper, on fulltime at Longbourn and was free to stay until the New Year because her employee had offered to run Longbourn for an extra week when the B&B reopened for the New Year on the 27th December.

"So, Jane, while it's great that you're able to stay down a little longer with us," Elizabeth began between bites, "Does your extended stay have to do with a certain redheaded male you've been texting constantly?"

Her elder sister blushed slightly and shoved a stuffing ball whole into her mouth. Lydia looked up at the two of them, already eaten half of her plate, and raised an eyebrow.

"A certain redheaded male?" Lydia questioned.

Elizabeth nodded, picking up her glass of wine and took a sip before placing it back on the table.

"Janey has been getting to know Charles." Elizabeth answered.

"Charles?" Lydia frowned, taking a few seconds to think before her eyes widened and she looked straight to Jane.

"You've got a thing for my IT teacher?!" Lydia asked loudly.

Jane glared at Elizabeth, which only made Elizabeth laugh.

" _Thank you_ for that!"

"Come now, Charles is a good man. He's very dedicated to his job and he's a very polite, nice young man." Ed defended.

The family continued to eat their meals, the sound of knives and forks scrapping the plates happening in unison.

"He is a good man, I really like him. We talk all the time and he's even come up to visit me for a few weekends-"

"That would explain why he's in such a good mood when I see him in the corridors before Monday morning registration." Lydia groaned.

Jane's face reddened a little deeper.

"You alright Jane? you look a little flustered." Elizabeth teased.

Jane merely rolled her eyes in reply, until Lydia snorted and pointing her fork at Elizabeth.

"Like you can talk, Lizzy."

It was Jane's eyes to widen this time.

"Really? Why's that Lydi?" Jane asked.

"Lydia." Elizabeth warned, failing to stop herself from grinning.

"Well you know she's become romantically connected to William Darcy now." Lydia replied.

"Has she now?" Jane asked, grinning from ear to ear as her two sisters faced her.

Elizabeth felt her own cheeks redden as she knew that her teasing had now backfired to her being the one being teased by her sisters.

"It's only been three days, it's hardly a relationship-"

"Yet," Lydia grinned, "It was blatantly obvious the two of them fancied the pants off each other so Georgie and I plotted a little night in for the two of them."

" _Thank you_ for that." Elizabeth laughed.

"You three certainly seem a lot happier now." Maddie commented with a smile.

The three sisters looked at each other and nodded in agreement. Elizabeth certainly noticed a change in her sisters over the past few weeks. Whenever she had spoken to Jane, her elder sister was doing well for herself. The business was up and running and was becoming just as successful as it had been before the fire, with that and Charles, Jane was in her own little bubble; although they still had to discuss Elizabeth selling Jane her shares of Longbourn over to her sister. Lydia was a whole new person since they had moved to Portsmouth. She had turned into a caring, observant, selfless person who was coming to terms with her ordeal and was helping Georgiana Darcy through her own. As for Elizabeth, her relationship with George and rough start with William had been a bad start but now she had gotten over her initial feelings for George and was developing a strong bond, connection and feelings for Will; she hoped that things would carry on being this good for both her and her sisters.

Elizabeth was the first to finish her dinner, collapsing into a lazed position on her chair and declaring she was stuffed before thanking her aunt for a delicious dinner. She was soon followed by Lydia, her uncle and then Maddie and Jane. They continued to chat, with the sisters planning to go up Spinnaker Tower on the 27th and spend the afternoon shopping around Gunwharf Quays in the Boxing day sales. Ed was planning on starting to read one of the many books he had received from his wife and nieces for Christmas whilst Maddie had to return to her work duties on Boxing day. Jane helped Ed and Lydia clear away the plates and start the washing up whilst Elizabeth and Maddie chatted some more in their seats at the dining table; when they heard Trip barking at the front door.

Frowning, Elizabeth got up from her seat and walked through the living room and out into the hall where she picked up the little dog and set him into the living room on his way back into the house. As she turned to go back to the dining room for a share of Christmas pudding, she heard a light knock on the front door.

 _Who on earth would that be?_ She thought to herself; knowing her cousin Ruby was still volunteering at a school build somewhere in Africa and her cousin Oliver always spent Christmas with his wife's family.

She opened the front door and her body was instantly filled with shock. Anger. Resentment.

In front of her stood a woman she hadn't seen for fourteen years. A woman who the last time she had seen her, was sending her up to bed the night before she packed a bag and walked out on her husband and three daughters. A woman who was the mirror image of her older sister, only fourteen years older, as was evident in the wrinkles on her face and the light greying of her blonde hair.

The woman looked just as shocked to see her.

"E-E-Elizabeth!"


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** Here's the next chapter. I would apologise for the previous cliffhanger but it gives the story a bit of an edge so take this as a warning for future chapters: there will be more cliffhangers :)

 **Chapter Nineteen**

 **Three days post Christmas…**

"Lizzy, pass the ketchup please."

Without looking at her uncle, she picked up the bottle of ketchup that sat in front of her plate and shoved it into his hand before she returned to eating her bacon sandwich that Maddie had made for the five of them for breakfast. Ed thanked her quietly as he applied ketchup inside his sandwich as Maddie and her two sisters looked at each other awkwardly.

"Elizabeth, how long are you going to give me the silent treatment?" Ed asked.

Pushing her plate away from her, she glared up at her uncle.

"I don't know. I'm so angry at you right now." Elizabeth replied through gritted teeth.

"I thought it best that we didn't tell you just yet. You and Lydia have only been here a few months." Ed stated.

"So you've said repeatedly for the past few days. But what I don't get is why you haven't mentioned the fact you've been in touch with our 'mother' once in the last fourteen years. Yet she knew we were here and conveniently shows up on Christmas day?"

"She thought the three of you would be in Longbourn, it's my fault for not calling her and warning her to stay away."

"She said that you two haven't spoken since the summer, is that when you told her Lydia and I were here?" Elizabeth questioned.

Ed nodded.

"She turned up unexpectedly one afternoon just after you and Lydia had gone out for the afternoon. I went to visit her and told her she needed to call us first. I told her that the two of you were living here because Thomas had died and what Lydia had been through."

"So…she knows what I went through with Jamie?" Lydia asked.

Ed nodded again.

"Yes. She told me not to say anything to you about living in Port Solent."

"Oh, that makes everything better!" Elizabeth replied sarcastically.

"Your mother is a selfish cow." Ed concluded, giving his breakfast his full attention.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and took another bite out of her sandwich but dropped the food back on to her plate when she heard the thing she never thought she would hear from her little sister.

"I want to see her." Lydia announced.

"Absolutely not!" Elizabeth protested.

"Lizzy, I have to know why she just left. She owes us that much at least!" Lydia pointed out.

"You don't need a mother Lydi, you have me and Jane." Elizabeth replied.

"I know and that won't change. But if we're going to get past this, we need to know why she left us."

"Well, I'm not taking you."

"Lizzy-"

Getting up from her seat and declaring that she wasn't hungry, she headed into the hallway to put on her shoes and grabbed Trip's lead and attached it to the dog's collar. Pulling on her coat and pocketing her keys and phone, she left the house.

ooOoo

Looking out of the car window, Lydia sighed heavily. The last three days had seen her new life in Portsmouth become almost an uncertainty. Elizabeth wasn't really speaking to Ed unless she had too and was sometimes frosty with Maddie whilst Jane had been too quiet about the subject. She knew her older sisters were angry, they were so much older than she was when their mother had left but she couldn't help but feel curious and eager to get the answers that she had wondered about ever since she was able to understand that her biological mother had abandoned her as a baby.

"How do you feel about all of this?" Ed asked, paying attention to the road.

Lydia shrugged.

"Honestly? I don't know. I get why Lizzy and Jane are angry, they have every right to be but I was only one when Fran left us. I don't even know her. But I need answers from her." she replied.

"I've told Fran repeatedly over the years to get in touch and she always promised that she would but she is a selfish person and only serves her own interests."

"It sounds like you know why she left. Why don't you just tell me?"

"Because it's not my place to tell you. It's like you said, she owes you answers and she's the person to provide them. Not me."

"So, you've been in regular contact with her?"

Ed nodded.

"After she left your dad, she came to live with me and Maddie for a little while. She told me her marriage was over but she'd come back for you girls once she was settled. She's my sister, you get what family means, Lydi. But your mother has never had those values; not to her blood relations anyway. But after a few months she met someone new and she's been with Peter ever since." Ed explained briefly.

"I just hope she will give me the answers." Lydia sighed.

"She will. I told her we were coming and she said she'll talk to you." Ed said.

After driving under the bridge and taking the next left, Ed drove around a private housing estate where the houses were mainly semi-detached properties with large driveways and the front patches of lawn were kept neatly cut. As her uncle parked the car on the side of the road, the two of them got out of the car and locked up, before she followed Ed up the pathway to a house. Lydia could smell the sea salt in the air from the Port Solent marina and waited with deep breaths as her uncle knocked the front door. The door opened and they were greeted merrily by the mother she had never known.

"Take your shoes off, we've recently had the carpets replaced." Fran announced.

Taking off her ankle boots, Lydia followed Fran through to the living room where she sat on the edge of the cream sofa and watched as Ed sat in the corner and Fran sat in the chair opposite to her.

"So…" Fran said quietly.

"This is just as awkward for me as it is for you." Lydia stated.

She observed the way that her mother didn't want to make eye contact, how her foot tapped nervously against the carpet and the way she folded her hands together. It was almost like she could tell that Fran was trying to debate what she should say.

"Look, I already know from uncle Ed that you know we've been here since the summer and you know my dad is dead and what I've been through in the past year. I don't know you, I don't remember you. I just want to know what happened for you to abandon your three daughters and why you've never bothered to get in touch." Lydia stated.

"Quick to the point, aren't you?" Fran asked.

"I don't want my time wasted." Lydia replied.

Fran nodded and cleared her throat.

"To cut a long story short. I was very young when I married your father and he promised me a life of travelling and seeing the major cities, Paris, Rome, you get the idea. I wanted to see the world but I fell in love and it took me a while to see that your father's real passion was the family business. Not adventure and riches like mine was. I never wanted to settle in a country bed and breakfast and be the owner's wife when your grandfather passed away. I wasn't designed to settle. But I had Jane and Elizabeth and your father was adamant that they needed stability so my dreams of travel were locked away in the corner of my mind."

"All good parents put the welfare of their children first. It's what my dad did when he thought I was in a burning building. He rushed into Longbourn without a regard to his own safety or health because he thought I was still sleeping."

"Oh, your father wasn't a saint!" Fran sneered, "he neglected his duty as a husband-"

"You don't get to badmouth him." Lydia hissed threateningly.

Taken aback by her response, Fran closed her mouth and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"I was depressed. I still loved Thomas but he always put the B&B first, your sisters got more attention than I did. I started talking to a man I met online. He made me feel more like myself again and when I considered meeting this man, your father found out. Thomas was devastated and for the first time in our marriage, he was more attentive to me. He let loose a little when it came to the business. And a few months after your grandfather died, I found out I was pregnant with you and that was when our marriage really went downhill." Fran continued.

Lydia frowned, her heart beating faster as she guessed what her mother was about to say.

"I wasn't made to be a mother. I agreed to have your sisters because there was so much pressure on us start a family. I told your father after the brutal delivery I had with Elizabeth that I didn't want more children; the lack of attention saw to that. But your father desperately wanted you and I thought our marriage could survive it. So, I had you. And one again, I was cast aside. I was diagnosed and treated for postnatal depression but I didn't have any type of bond with you or your sisters. I was eventually accepted for sterilisation and I told your father I was going away for a week to visit my sister. Your aunt Jinny. But he found out because he found the hidden hospital letters. This was just after your first birthday, I returned after my week away and we argued. I told your father I craved adventure and the better things in life, that I didn't want to just sit in Thurston doing nothing. I was bored all of the time. It was during that argument I realised that I wasn't in love with your father any more, it was time to get my life back. So, I left." Fran finished.

Lydia took some deep breaths as she tried to get her head around what Fran had just told her. For the first time, she truly felt angry now that she knew the reason why she had never known her mother. She wasn't wanted by Fran. She never had been wanted by Fran.

"So, what you told me when you first left Thomas, that you would get in touch with the girls, that was a lie?" Ed shouted.

Fran looked shocked at her brother's outburst.

"What else could I tell you? Admit to my own brother I never wanted to be a mother?" Fran scoffed.

"You always implied that you had the intention of getting in touch with them!" Ed argued.

Fran merely shrugged and returned her gaze to Lydia, who was trying her hardest not to swear at the mother who had never really wanted her or her sisters. Ever since she was little, she had never felt rejected by her mother. Her mother had been this unknown person who was rarely spoken about and she had been curious to know why her mother had left but now she knew. Francine Bennet had left her husband and daughters because she wasn't suited for domestic life. Her mother wanted adventure and perhaps her new life that she had lived for the past fourteen years had been the one she had always wanted.

"I just wanted to know why you left. Ed told me that you knew what had happened to me when dad died but he was right; you're a selfish cow. If you were really concerned you would have gotten in touch but you've said it yourself, you didn't want us. But that's fine. We don't want or need you either."

Turning on her heel, she pulled on her shoes and left the house and headed back for her uncle's car.

ooOoo

Knocking on the front door, Elizabeth smiled slightly as Will opened it and greeted her. She let Trip off the lead and run into the house as she stepped inside the warm hallway, taking her coat off as Will closed the door behind them.

"Your dog?" Will asked.

Elizabeth shook her head, "No, it's my uncle's. Pomeranian called Trip." She replied.

Will laughed.

"Trip?"

"Yeah, because they've had him since he was a puppy and my aunt nearly tripped over him a lot. She said he was a trip hazard so the name just stuck."

"That's one way to come up with a dog's name."

Will took her coat from her and hung it up on the coat rack.

"Sorry if I'm intruding." Elizabeth apologised.

"You aren't," Will reassured her, "Alice has taken Georgie to the sales. Besides, I wanted to see you. I'm worried something is wrong by the texts you've sent to me."

Heading through to the living room, Elizabeth sat on the sofa and smiled as Will joined her; taking her hand and stroking her palm.

"So, what's the matter?" Will asked.

"My head has been scrambled for the past three days. What was supposed to be an enjoyable first Christmas where me and my sisters are in a good place, was a nightmare." Elizabeth replied.

"What happened?"

"My mother showed up."

She watched as he frowned, as if trying to think back on previous conversations they had had.

"I thought you didn't have parents." Will said, confusion in his voice.

"I don't. Not completely in the way you probably thought. My dad died last year but my mother ran out on us when Lydia was one."

"Wow. That's… rough."

"I never knew why. She went fourteen years without contacting us and then she turns up on my uncle's doorstep on Christmas day. But it turns out that my uncle has been in touch with her all this time without mentioning it to us that he was and that she knows all about my dad's death and what Lydia went through this past year." Elizabeth said quietly.

"How do you feel about this?" Will asked.

"I don't know," Elizabeth groaned, "Angry. Frustrated. Annoyed. A whole lot of other things I don't know how to express."

"And your dad never spoke to you about it?"

Elizabeth shook her head.

"Not really. I went downstairs one morning to find my dad sitting in the dining room and he just told me that my mum had left the night before and she wasn't coming back."

He cupped her face, stroking her cheek with a feather light touch. She met his gaze, feeling at ease for the first time in three days. Just getting it out there, telling him that she had been abandoned by her mother and that she felt a whole range of emotions that she hadn't quite worked out in her head yet, made her feel better.

"I wish I knew the right thing to say. But what I will say is that it's her loss. She lost out on getting to know the amazing woman sitting right beside me." Will said softly.

Elizabeth laughed lightly.

"I wouldn't say that I'm amazing." She stated.

"You grew up with a close bond with your dad and sisters, that's obvious. You're a qualified nurse and helped your sister overcome her demons after a difficult year following the loss of the only parent you've ever known. And then there's everything that you've done for me and Georgiana over the past few weeks. That's pretty amazing to me." Will argued.

Not knowing what to say because she felt warmed by his words, Elizabeth moved forwards and caught his lips in a quick kiss. As she gently pulled away, she felt his hands weave themselves into her hair and pull her back again; pressing his lips to hers and kissing her enthusiastically. She found herself moaning into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck whilst one of his moved to snake around her waist and pull her closer to him.

Elizabeth thrilled in the sensation of his lips moving over hers, filling her mind with nothing but him as their kisses turned into open mouthed ones, their tongues lightly teasing until Will gently bit her bottom lip which only made her gasp in surprise. He pulled back, looked at her apologetically until Elizabeth smiled widely and pressed her lips back to his. The kissing continued this way, hands running over arms, sides, feeling the softness of the other's hair as Will gently leaned into her and moved her back on to the sofa until she was lying underneath him, one of his hands gripping just above the waistband of her jeans while the other cupped her face and hers were woven into the mass of brown curls; holding his head to hers as they continued to kiss each other hotly and fiercely.

She felt his hand travel underneath her t-shirt, stroking slowly and softly at the skin he found there before he teasingly stroked just slightly underneath where the waistband of her jeans sat which only made her toes curl and made her jolt upwards with need for more close contact with him. How she wanted him to be closer and to keep stroking at her skin, making her feel more tingly than he already was; so, she made a bold move. Shuffling down a tiny bit, she grinded her hips upwards into his which caused him to pull away from her lips and look down at her through hazy but hot brown eyes. Biting her lip, she took a deep breath; only to have him crash his lips back to hers and kiss her faster, deeper, groaning into her throat as he met the grinding pace of her hips with his own. Will pushed her t-shirt up further, his hand travelling further up her stomach and gripping her tightly on her ribcage. Elizabeth could feel his hardened arousal in his jeans, it only seemed to excite her further.

Will pulled away from her lips again, but instead of looking down at her, he placed a light trail of kisses across her face, down her jaw and nipped lightly at her ear before reaching her neck. Sighing happily, she closed her eyes and focused on how his lips were nipping on her neck before sucking lightly at her pulse point which made her gasp out in pleasure.

Their heightened sense of mutual pleasure ended abruptly as Elizabeth's phone started ringing loudly. Groaning in dissatisfaction, she tried to wriggle free of his grasp.

"Ignore it." Will whispered huskily into her ear, biting lightly on the lobe.

Making eye contact with him, she quickly pecked his lips and scrambled into her jeans pocket to pull out her mobile. Seeing that it was Jane, she answered the call and placed the phone to her ear.

"What's up, Jane?" Elizabeth asked.

"Can you come back? Lydi's just got back with uncle Ed." Jane requested.

"Is she okay?"

"I think she just needs the two of us."

"Alright, I'll be home in fifteen."

"Thanks Lizzy."

Ending the call, she sat up as Will scrambled off her. The two of them were silent for a few moments, trying to pace their breathing to a normal pace before she had to make a move back home.

"Sorry about the interruption." Elizabeth said quietly, adding a small smile.

"Don't apologise. Is everything okay?" Will asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

Elizabeth shrugged.

"I think Lydi needs to talk. My uncle took her to where my mother lives because my sister wanted an explanation. I suppose Lydia feels the need to share with me and Jane what that woman told her." she replied.

Will took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze.

"Well if you want to talk afterwards, or need a distraction, I'm always here." He grinned.

"I hope you don't feel used. I just needed someone outside my family to see, to talk to, to take my mind off what's been going around inside my head the last few days." Elizabeth apologised.

"I'm not complaining. Really," he assured her, "I think your sister's call was perfect timing to stop us from going further."

Laughing a little, she pecked his cheek.

"We got a little ahead of ourselves but it was perfect. I know exactly what I'm going to think of if I need to take my mind off things when I get home." Elizabeth said quietly.

Letting out a light groan, he leaned into her.

"You are certainly going to test my self-control, aren't you?" he whispered.

Nipping at his own earlobe, she laughed in his ear.

"That depends. I'm breaking all my rules with you if our time together today is anything to go by."

"You have rules?" Will asked, eyebrow raised.

Elizabeth got to her feet and nodded.

"I let go of my control with you, I've never done that before. With anyone. I usually like to get to know a person before anything too physical happens. But with you… there's something about you that makes me feel… I don't know. I'm sorry, I'm confusing you, aren't I?"

Will shook his head and got to his feet.

"We'll take this at whatever pace you want. You know I like you. Really like you. You certainly know how to get my heart racing, Elizabeth."

Smiling up at him, she gave him another kiss before the two of them moved back out into the hallway so she could put her coat back on.

"I'd like to take you out for an evening, just the two of us." Will said quickly.

Closing the zip on her coat, she continued to smile and nodded her agreement.

"I think that would be nice, a first date."

"I'll call you later?"

Elizabeth nodded again and gave him a lingering kiss goodbye before whistling Trip's name and placing the lead back on the little dog; giving her thanks to Will one last time before heading out the front door.

ooOoo

When she got home and let Trip off the lead, she saw her aunt come into the small hallway just as she was hanging her coat up on the rack between Jane and Lydia's.

"Where have you been?" Maddie asked softly.

"I just needed to get out, to distract myself." Elizabeth replied.

Maddie nodded.

"Your sisters are upstairs, Lydia wants to talk to you both."

"I know, Jane called me."

"Look Lizzy-"

"Maddie, I know you and Ed thought you had our best interests in not telling us but I'm still angry. I just need time to get my head around it."

She headed up the stairs and opened the door to Lydia's bedroom to find both her sisters laying on the double bed with their feet up in the air resting on the headboard. Closing the door behind her, Elizabeth squeezed herself on to the edge of the bed and placed her feet on the headboard's next to Jane's.

"So, how was it Lydia?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well Ed is right about one thing; our mother is a selfish cow." Lydia replied.

"What explanation did she give you?" Jane questioned.

"That she had depression, she wanted excitement and adventure. That she loved dad but he cast her aside because his real passion was being a father and Longbourn. She never wanted to be a mother, she only had children because there was a lot of pressure to start a family. The end of their marriage came that she told him she was visiting Aunt Jinny for the week just after my first birthday but she was secretly having a sterilisation. Dad found the letters and they argued and she told him that she didn't want to be stuck in Thurston. So, she left and by the look of her house, she got the lifestyle she always wanted." Lydia explained.

Each of the sisters grasped hands. Elizabeth's anger seemed to fade only slightly. She was still angry that she and her sisters had gone fourteen years without knowing why their mother had left and she was still angry that Ed and Maddie had never mentioned they were still in contact with Fran but at least now she knew the reason their mother had left and she could see the reasoning behind Ed and Maddie keeping it from them.

"We may not have been wanted by her but we were wanted and loved by dad. That won't ever change." Jane stated.

"I just wanted an answer, that's all I ever wanted from her." Lydia sighed.

"We can get past this, together. We're all each other needs." Elizabeth said quietly.

She turned her head to her left, meeting Jane's gaze whilst Lydia had leaned up to look at her.

"We can. I don't need a mother, I never have. I've been brought up by the greatest dad and the two most amazing sisters I could ever ask for." Lydia smiled.

Returning her little sister's smile, the three of them stared up at the ceiling; reflecting.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** Here's the next chapter, enjoy.

 **Chapter Twenty**

"Lydi, hurry up!" Elizabeth called from the bottom of the stairs, "Jane's got to go and we're running late for school!"

Heading back into the living room, Elizabeth pulled on her flats before putting on her coat and helped to put Jane's suitcase and additional bags in the back of her sister's car. She had enjoyed spending time with her sister, despite the dramatic reappearance of their mother, over the Christmas break but the holidays were over now and it was time to get back to reality. Stepping out into the cold January air, Jane unlocked the boot of the car and the two of them placed the bags in there.

"I'm going to miss you now that you have to go." Elizabeth sighed.

Jane smiled.

"I'll miss you both too. But I'll be down in two weeks for my birthday and you and Lydia are coming home for the February half-term so that will be upon us before you know it." Jane said.

"I know. But with everything that's happened with Francine and trying to get our heads around her explanation behind abandoning us, we didn't get the chance to talk about my suggestion of my shares in Longbourn."

"We can talk about that another time, Lizzy. Like I said, I'll be down in two weeks. I want to spend the entire weekend with you, Lydia and Charles."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

"Are things getting serious between the two of you?" Elizabeth asked.

"I wouldn't say too serious, he's come up for the weekend a few times and we call and text every day. You know from Lydia's comment on Christmas day that things have gone further and he's really, really good to me," Jane gushed, her cheeks reddening, "His sister wants to hold a dinner for me when I come down, she's invited us and Ed and Maddie to have dinner at their family home." Jane replied.

"Caroline? She doesn't really strike me as the friendly type." Elizabeth frowned.

"You've met her?" Jane asked.

"Only a few times, on each occasion she wasn't exactly friendly. She seemed quite snobby to be honest but I'll keep an open mind if you want to do this dinner she's offered." Elizabeth stated.

"Good, keep an open mind. Especially as your opinion towards a certain man has changed." Jane teased.

Elizabeth felt her own cheeks reddening, knowing that she couldn't exactly blame it on the weather being hot.

"I was completely wrong about him but it's early days. We're going on our first date, hopefully soon, but we've agreed to that much." Elizabeth said with a grin.

"Is that where you went the other day?"

Elizabeth nodded.

"He's a great listener and he took my mind off things…" Elizabeth trailed off, thinking back on her time spent with William at his house just days previously and how she wanted to skip her first day back at work and go and spend a lazy day with him; just kissing him the same way they had kissed the other day…

She was brought out of her trail of thought by a light cough. Blinking she felt her already reddened cheeks turn a darker and brighter shade of red as she sheepishly tried to bury her head in her coat.

"Yes, I can see that he took your mind off things," Jane grinned, "So, tell me, is he a good kisser?"

Hitting her sister lightly on the arm and returning Jane's grin, she said nothing but simply nodded in reply before both sisters started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Lydia asked brightly.

"Lizzy was just telling me how much of a good kisser Will is." Jane informed her.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes before laughing again. It had been a long time since the three of them had been like this; teasing each other and embarrassing each other over boyfriends. And to be like this again, despite their shock Christmas, it meant to her that she and her sisters were going to be okay.

"I don't need to hear the gory details on your tonsil tennis matches with Will." Lydia said, wrinkling her nose as she pulled a face that resembled queasiness.

"With that reaction, it reminds me of the twelve-year-old version of you who thought boys still had germs." Jane teased.

Lydia rolled her eyes.

"Trust me, I wish I still had that line of thought. Besides, I'm not ready to get all lovey dovey with a boy just yet."

"One day you will." Jane said.

"Let me focus on what I'm doing for sixth form first. I have a meeting with my tutor about it today."

That was something that Elizabeth had been dreading. She, like Lydia, had a meeting to discuss their futures at Rosings Park. When their uncle had first managed to secure a scholarship and job position for the two of them, it had only been decided that the two sisters would stay in Portsmouth for a year to help Lydia heal and Elizabeth hadn't thought about the plans beyond that year. But here they were, now six months in Portsmouth and starting the second term of the school year, she knew that the three of them would have to discuss the future.

"Any thoughts on that Lydi?" Jane asked.

Lydia shrugged.

"It depends whether my scholarship can be extended for the two years in sixth form at Rosings or not." Lydia replied.

"Well, we'll talk about it later. I've got to get on the road." Jane sighed.

The three sisters shared a tight hug before Jane released the two of them and got into her car. Waving their sister goodbye, they watched as Jane pulled out of the driveway and drove to the end of the road until she was out of sight as she turned the corner. Stepping back inside the house the two sisters grabbed their bags and along with their uncle, climbed into Ed's car and drove off to start their days.

ooOoo

So far, her morning hadn't been the way she had wanted it to go. Upon arrival to work that morning, Elizabeth went to the staff briefing that occurred most mornings at Rosings and it was the usual prattle from Catherine who informed them about the school governor's meeting that afternoon and she would inform them of the outcome the following day. The usual mention of stopping the students from chewing gum during school hours was heavily encouraged by her boss and the usual mention of making sure the students had their uniforms tidy with shirts tucked in was also applied to the staff before they were dismissed to start their work days. As she was about to head to the medical room, Catherine had called her back to tell her that she was due in a meeting at ten o'clock regarding Georgiana's return to school.

"It's a bit short notice, Catherine," Elizabeth said politely, "I wasn't aware that the meeting was taking place today on the first day of term."

"Well I need my niece back in school as soon as possible," Catherine tutted, "I can't have a student off school for too long a period! The school's reputation is suffering enough because of the incidents with Mr. Jones and Miss Annesley."

"But they've been prosecuted or waiting to be prosecuted and expelled. Surely that won't affect the school that much?"

"The incidents should have not taken place and the fact that it was my own niece in the centre of it all…"

Elizabeth felt disgusted as she twigged what her boss felt about Georgiana's situation. Catherine cared more for the school's image with the public, the school board of governors and the rich parents who donated to the school than she did for her own niece's wellbeing.

"Okay Catherine, the meeting is at ten. I'll go and check my work emails to get an idea of what the counsellor has said about the matter of Miss Darcy's education and then refer to Mr. Collins on the matter."

"Mr. Collins will agree with me that my niece needs to return to school next week." Catherine insisted.

Elizabeth took a deep breath to calm her anger.

"Is that because he's trying to stay in your good books or because he thinks it's within Miss Darcy's best interests to return to school?" Elizabeth asked, with an accusatory tone to her voice.

Catherine merely glared at her and dismissed her from the staff room with a wave of the hand. Elizabeth left the room and walked to the medical room, unlocking the door before heading into her little office and switching on her computer to check if the counsellor that Will and Georgiana were seeing had emailed a report through.

As she placed her coat and bag on the little hook on the back of the office door, her phone beeped. Pulling it out, she smiled.

 _I assume I'll be seeing your lovely face at this meeting?_

Hitting the text box underneath Will's message, she began to type.

 _Of course, I didn't even know it was happening today. Just checking to see if your counsellor has emailed a report through._

Putting her phone on to her desk, she sat on the swivel chair and clicked on her email launcher. While she waited for the computer to load her work email inbox she saw her phone screen light up with another beep.

 _Catherine pushed for it, I don't know why. Counsellor should have emailed you a copy. I don't think Georgie is ready yet._

 _It depends what the counsellor's report says for me to make a medical opinion as the school's nurse and medical officer. But I agree, on a personal level, I think she needs a few more weeks._

 _Perhaps we can team up?_

Smiling at his suggestion, she replied with a simple 'maybe' and put her phone back on the desk as she clicked open the email from the counsellor and downloaded the report. Reading the report thoroughly, she noted in her mind that the counsellor assigned to the Darcy family had recommended that Georgiana not return to a formal education setting until the end of January and when she did return, it should be on a part-time basis to begin with. Picking up the phone, Elizabeth pressed the extension button for Bill Collins and arranged for him to meet her in the medical room.

Just as she had dialled through to the receptionist to inform her that if there were any emergencies she would be in Catherine's office and to phone her there if needed, there was a knock on the door to the medical room.

"Come in." Elizabeth called out.

She heard someone step into the medical room so she rose from her chair and put her mobile phone back into her coat pocket before closing her office door and smiled to greet Mr. Collins.

"You wanted to see me, Elizabeth?" Mr. Collins asked.

"I did. I've just read through the report sent by the Darcy family counsellor but I understand that you are going to recommend that Miss Darcy return to school now rather than the end of the month." Elizabeth explained.

Mr. Collins stammered as he tried to speak but Elizabeth merely folded her arms and looked at him impatiently as she waited for his answer.

"Mrs. de Bourgh…she expects so much of me…I have to please her…"

"So, you're agreeing that her niece should come back to school on a full-time basis when she's not ready to? The counsellor has recommended that she come back on the thirty-first on a part-time basis to slowly settle her back in after everything she has been through!" Elizabeth exclaimed in disbelief.

"But Mrs. de Bourgh-"

"Says jump and you ask how high?"

Mr. Collins closed his mouth and shifted uncomfortably.

"I hate to sound like I'm telling you how to do your job, Bill, but as the school's counsellor you should really do the right thing and put Miss Darcy's welfare first. It's my job to ensure that Miss Darcy transitions easily and doesn't feel tempted to harm herself again and it's also yours too." Elizabeth pointed out.

Mr. Collins simply nodded sharply in reluctant agreement and left the medical room as Elizabeth dealt with the student that had just walked in to take his asthma inhaler when the bell rang for second period.

"Off you go to lesson." Elizabeth smiled at the student, placing the asthma inhaler back in the student's folder and locked it away in the cupboard.

ooOoo

Will entered the medical room and stopped in the doorway to admire Elizabeth. She wasn't aware he was there yet as she was looking through her filing cabinet. Her wavy hair was tied up today in a thick ponytail and she wore a dark blue nurse's tunic with black leggings and ankle boots. He admired her figure where she stood until he had flashbacks of her kissing him in the kitchen, which then progressed to ones where she had been laying underneath him on his sofa as they exchanged heated kisses. Shaking his head, he forced himself to try and stop having those images.

 _I need to get a grip. I have to take this one step at a time._

 ** _But what's the fun in that? his other half of him argued, it's been years since you've had any action, since Sarah._**

 _Exactly the reason to take this one step at a time._

Coughing lightly, she turned around with a look of surprise on her face which was quickly replaced with a smile, that smile he had come to notice was different to the other times she had smiled; or was that just him?

"You're early." She commented, closing the filing cabinet and locking the drawer.

Will shrugged, "Only by half an hour." He said casually.

"Was there any particular reason why?" Elizabeth asked, moving closer to him.

"Oh, you know…a beautiful brunette has been in my thoughts constantly…" he said teasingly.

"She must be quite something if she has that effect on you…" she observed, matching his playful tone of voice.

"She is," Will agreed, "I try and get important things done and the tiniest little reminder of her sets me off course."

"Such as?"

"I ate a peach with my breakfast this morning and it reminded me of the shampoo scent she uses in her hair. And then when I admire her when she doesn't know I'm in the room, it brings back memories of our alone time."

She smiled up at him as she ran her hands through his curly hair, bringing her face up to his as his heart pounded in his chest as it usually did whenever she was near him.

"It's a shame we can't add more memories to the ones you currently think about." Elizabeth whispered against his lips.

"Why not?" he whispered back, grinning down at her as he placed his hands on her waist.

Pressing her lips lightly to his, she pulled her head back and gave a light giggle.

"I have to work and this isn't the place." Elizabeth said seriously.

Will rolled his eyes and closed the medical door before pulling her back into his arms.

"If we get caught and my aunt gives you a hard time, she'll regret it."

Raising an eyebrow, she placed his hands on his chest.

"How exactly?"

"I'd withdraw my place as school governor, she wouldn't have the Darcy support that she desperately needs."

Elizabeth shook her head.

"I wouldn't want you to do that just because of me." She said sternly.

"Why not?" Will asked.

"Because your aunt would have a valid point in giving me a warning for acting unprofessional, even if it was with her nephew." Elizabeth replied.

Will pouted playfully which only caused her to roll her eyes and laugh as she stepped out of his arms and instructed him to leave her to work until they were due to go to the meeting.

ooOoo

Chucking a folder on to Georgiana's bed, Lydia collapsed with a groan of relief as she took off her school shoes.

"Feet hurt?" Georgiana asked.

"You have no idea," Lydia complained, "It's frigging freezing out there and we had to do twenty laps around the playing fields before we played tag rugby in PE today."

Georgiana gave a light laugh.

"Then I'm glad I'm still off school until the end of the month."

"Homework in the folder, we've finished Shakespeare and we're starting on a new English project for our coursework. The theme for this half of the term is criminal profile, Miss Lucas has put in a list of instructions and you've been paired with Denny for when you come back to school."

There was a moment where Georgiana was silent and her smile faded at the mention of Denny's name.

"Georgie, don't you think you need to talk to Denny about the play incident? It's long overdue." Lydia sighed.

"I want to, I just don't know where to start," Georgiana admitted, "I wasn't exactly in his corner whenever Laura decided to make his life a misery."

"He doesn't hold it against you." Lydia assured her.

Georgiana pulled a face, a face that told Lydia that she was unsure of everything at the moment.

"I just need to handle one thing at a time right now, Gregory appears in front of the magistrate's court next week and the judge will determine whether it needs to go to crown court and there's a big possibility that it may, and if it does, that means I have to give evidence in front of him and a jury. I also have to catch up on schoolwork and go back to school at the end of the month whilst we also prepare for our GCSEs ."

"I get it. You need some time." Lydia concluded.

"I do. Things are slowly getting to a new normal for me. My relationship with my brother is gradually improving and I'm learning how to deal with a problem instead of burying my head in the sand. I will talk to Denny, eventually." Georgiana replied.

Clearing her throat, Lydia decided to change the subject.

"I had a meeting with my tutor today, my scholarship has been extended so I can attend the sixth form that Rosings has." Lydia informed her friend.

Georgiana beamed happily.

"That's great news!"

"It is, I was hoping that it would be extended." Lydia smiled.

"Weren't you going to be here for our A Level years?" Georgiana asked.

Lydia shrugged. When the decision had first been made to move to Portsmouth, the reason was to have a fresh start, to come to terms with everything that had happened to her. And now, she had.

"Not initially," Lydia replied, "But coming to Portsmouth has brought me to peace after everything I went through."

Georgiana smiled.

"I'm glad you're staying."

Returning her friend's smile, Lydia nodded in agreement.

ooOoo

Hearing the knock on the door, Elizabeth opened it and pulled William inside the house, shutting the door with a bang and pinning him up against it. Standing on her tiptoes, she crushed her lips to his and kissed him fiercely. He matched the pace she set, pulling her closer to him and holding her to him with one arm wrapped around her waist and the other reaching down to the hem of her nurses tunic and pulled it upwards; his hand reaching underneath to feel the smooth skin of her stomach. All day she had wanted nothing more than to finish work and get him alone, in a place where she wouldn't be caught by colleagues and when her uncle had mentioned over lunch that he and Maddie were going out for dinner and seeing a show at the Kings theatre and knowing that Lydia was spending most of the evening round the Darcys, she saw her chance. He certainly hadn't helped her state of eagerness. During their meeting with Catherine and Collins that morning, he had purposely chosen to sit next to her around the small circular table in Catherine's office, sneakily putting his hand under the table and positioned himself to make it appear to the other two adults in the room that he was trying to get comfortable when in actuality, he had placed his hand on her thigh and teased her by stroking up and down her thigh and pushing up her tunic; which only made her squirm even more.

Will groaned as the kiss deepened to their tongues teasing and he walked them backwards into the living room. While continuing to kiss him, Elizabeth unzipped his coat and as he pulled his arms out of it, she pushed it off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Will kicked off his shoes, and they collapsed to the floor as if they were glued together. Her hands went to lift his t-shirt up but his hands immediately stopped hers and pinned them above her head as he ground his hips into hers. Elizabeth let out a groan of satisfaction as he pulled away from her lips and kissed his way down her neck as he continued to grind against her.

"Will…" she breathed.

He stopped kissing her neck and propped himself over her to look down into sparkling green eyes filled with need for him. In that moment, he released her hands and cupped her face before pressing his lips back to hers and continuing what she had started at the doorway. He started grinding into her again and she arched her back to meet him with each thrust downwards which only hardened his arousal further as he focused solely on kissing her and pushing up her tunic, his hands lightly stroking her ribcage in an undefined pattern. Elizabeth felt dizzy. Here she was, dating a man who months ago she had misjudged so harshly and was kissing him so hard and wet while grinding into him and spurring on his arousal as much as he was spurring on her own, on her aunt and uncle's living room floor. All the rules she had, like getting to know someone better before any physical relationship was established and how she liked to take things slow were being thrown out of the window as far as her attraction, feelings and need for William Darcy were concerned.

Will pulled himself away from her lips again, moving to nip at her earlobe which made her cry out unexpectedly.

"I love the feel of you beneath me," he confessed in a whisper, "I can't stop thinking about you."

Elizabeth grinned at him as he gazed into her eyes again.

"Thinking about me?" she asked, her fingers tucking themselves underneath the waistband of his underwear, "Or thinking about me doing this?"

Letting out a pleasurable groan, he cupped her face and kissed her slowly, drawing her bottom lip into his mouth and gave it a light nibble.

"Elizabeth…I want you more than anything…hell I'd take you right here-"

Pressing her lips to his again, she breathed, "Why don't you?"

Placing one more kiss to her lips, he sat up and pulled her with him. Will took hold of her hand and placed it over his chest to the position of his heart, which was beating so fast in his chest, Elizabeth believed it might burst out.

"Feel that?" Will asked.

Her eyes met his as she nodded lightly.

"You get my heart racing over anything, whether it be your smile to the way you greeted me when I knocked on the door. I haven't felt this attracted or connected to someone in a very long time and the first time things get physical between us, I need it not to happen on your aunt and uncle's living room floor." He explained.

Elizabeth looked away and dropped her hand from his chest. What had started out to be a desirous greeting for the two of them, now made her feel a little slutty. All day she had wanted to be alone with him and be able to kiss him like that when she hadn't been able to do so that morning but her actions to make him squirm in desire and push the boundaries of their two-week relationship was making her rethink her actions. Will pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"What's the matter?" he asked quietly.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have acted like that." Elizabeth sighed.

"Hey, I love that you couldn't wait to get your hands on me, I love that I can kiss you like that and that you want to drive me crazy in a good way. It's not you, Elizabeth, it's just me." Will assured her.

"That sounds confusing." Elizabeth admitted.

"It is," Will agreed, "I haven't been in a relationship for five years since my disastrous failure of a marriage. I haven't had any interest in a woman because of what I went through with Sarah. All women see is pound signs when they look at me."

"So how do you know I'm not like them?"

"Because you're different. For starters, I had proof of that when you handed me the money that night at Tiger Tiger after I had paid the entry fee for all of us. And you're invested in helping me and Georgiana get back on track, you're interested in getting to know me better, more than you already know over our time together these past few weeks." Will stated.

"Back then, I disliked you. I didn't want you to do anything for me, even as simple as paying an entry fee to a nightclub. As for getting to know you and Georgiana, I do want to know you both better and my feelings for you are the same." Elizabeth said quietly.

"So, let's do it this way. Before we get to the physical part, let me take you on a date."

Nodding her head in agreement, she turned to look at him and engaged him in a lengthy kiss.

ooOoo

It was several hours later that William Darcy emerged from the Gardiner residence, looking perfectly happy and satisfied with himself as he lingered for a few moments longer in the doorway as he bade goodbye to Elizabeth Bennet with a parting and enthusiastic kiss. He watched as his rival left and got into his car and disappeared into the night. Elizabeth had lingered in the doorway for a few moments longer with a smile that he knew only too well.

It was a smile he had seen Sarah wear when she had fallen in love with William Darcy. And now Elizabeth Bennet wore the exact same smile.

Watching her close the door and step back inside the house, George Wickham punched himself on the leg with his rising anger. He had to stop Elizabeth from falling for William Darcy if he was going to claim her for himself.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:** Apologies that this chapter has been posted nearly a month after the last update, I've had a lot on since I last posted. This chapter takes place a week after chapter 20's events and I hope you all will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope to post again with the next fortnight. Thanks for sticking with AHK.

 **Chapter Twenty-One**

Zipping her coat to a full close from bottom to top, Elizabeth shouted her goodbyes as she stepped out of the house and met Will at his car. He was dressed in a pair of faded denim jeans, wearing a black rain coat with matching trainers, his curly hair wet from the light drizzle of rain. Taking hold of her hands, he pulled her into his arms and bent his head down to hers; capturing her lips in a fierce kiss. When she pulled away, he didn't release her from his embrace.

"Good morning." Elizabeth whispered.

"It's a better one now that I get to see you." He murmured back, nuzzling his nose against hers.

She hummed in agreement as he placed his lips back to hers and kissed her slowly with his arms wrapped around her back and hers still weaved into his hair. It only lasted a minute or two before he was the one to end it.

"I missed you. How was your week?" Will asked.

"Same old, same old. Lydia's been accepted into sixth form at Rosings and she's looking through the A Level course brochure to decide what A Levels she wants to pursue for the next two years." Elizabeth replied.

"I believe that's what our sisters are getting up to today." Will commented.

"And what are _we_ getting up to?" Elizabeth asked, raising an eyebrow.

He grinned down at her and placed a brief peck to her lips before gesturing for her to get into the car. She complied, both closing the doors and buckling their seatbelts before he turned the key into the ignition and started the car.

"You still haven't said where we're going."

"We're having a day together. Away from prying eyes like Catherine, away from nosy and teasing sisters and away from anywhere we might get caught."

"Just the two of us?" Elizabeth asked.

"Just the two of us." Will confirmed.

While they drove to wherever he was taking them both, she asked him how his week had gone; he had spent the entire week in London on work related business. He told her about the company his family owned.

"It's called The Pemberley Association, or abbreviated to TPA. Mostly we invest in other successful business, a mixture really. Mostly retail or travel and tourism. We're quite a big investor in the Gunwharf Quays retail and leisure complex in Portsmouth and a few other similar complexes around the country. We invest in highly successful retail chains, we have shared ownership in some computer technology businesses; only small scale ones. We have our own charity which the TPA staff volunteers have returned to the Segou region of Mali with food, water, first aid, medical supplies to help the villagers. They're also building flood defences, a fresh water pump and eventually they'll build better housing conditions." William explained, a tone of fondness present in his voice.

"Wow, it seems like you have a handful where work is concerned. The charity work sounds amazing." Elizabeth smiled.

"The original plan was to let my cousin Richard run the company until Christmas, but the TPA business partners weren't happy dealing with a Fitzwilliam rather than dealing with the Darcy heir. With everything that has happened with Georgiana, I won't be taking full control of the company. During my week in London I had a meeting to discuss how each of the investments are doing, with possible new business ventures that TPA can invest in." Will explained.

"Anything exciting?" Elizabeth asked.

Will shrugged.

"Nothing I haven't seen before. Right now, I have my priorities as a parental guardian and Georgiana has to come first."

"I understand."

"Your opportunity to provide health checks in Africa?" Will asked.

Elizabeth nodded.

"Oscar and I were going to take a year off work to go and do it but with my father's death, I couldn't leave my sisters." She replied.

"Well I suppose some good will come out of the difficult times we've both had. We get to be together." Will said brightly, focusing on the road ahead.

They continued to drive on the motorway, an Ed Sheeran song playing on the radio. The rain, that had begun the day as a light drizzle, was now pouring a little heavier on the windscreen; with the wipers going back and forth in the same pace as Will continued to drive. Eventually they left the motorway, taking the junction that led off to a little country village called Wickham and then took a right instead of continuing to drive through the village, driving down a country road where there was nothing but forest to the left and fields with grazing cows to the right of them. Will continued to drive until he took another right, turning into a car park with a sign that stated they had entered the forest park called the Forest of Bere.

"The Forest of Bere?" Elizabeth asked.

Will nodded, driving the car into an empty space and parked it up before switching off the engine and unbuckling his seatbelt. He turned to her with a small smile.

"It's somewhere peaceful, away from the city and somewhere we can spend some time together without being disturbed." Will explained.

Returning his smile, she unclipped her seatbelt and opened the car door and stepped out of the car. She waited as Will went over to the pay and display meter and then came back and popped the time ticket on the windscreen before locking up the car. The couple held hands as they walked across the car park and passed the burger van, following the other families and their dogs on one of the walking trails into the forest.

For a while they walked downhill on the uneven, stony and muddy path, walking past the other families that were walking the same way as them, until they came to a junction where they had a choice to take the left path or the right. Elizabeth followed Will's lead as he pulled her gently by the hand to the right path.

"It is very peaceful here." Elizabeth commented.

"I wanted to do something different with you." Will said quietly.

She looked up at him, seeing that this place held some importance to him by the warm look of remembrance in his eyes.

"Have you been here before?" she asked.

"I used to come here as a child with my mother and father, even when Georgie was little before my mother died. We spent a lot of time here during school holidays and a lot of good memories were made. I haven't been here for a few years and with you…it's…"

As he trailed off his sentence, perhaps unsure of how to continue, Elizabeth stopped walking and met his gaze and in that moment, she knew what he wanted to say. He had already told her previously that he hadn't felt the connection they had with anyone else in a long time, he had already told her how he felt about her, that she was different to other women. But just the way he was looking at her right now, she could see in his eyes, she was important to him. And bringing her to place that held a special importance in his heart, made her smile with watery eyes. To her, it meant so much that he wanted to share this place with her.

Elizabeth stood on her tiptoes, giving him a light kiss before flattening her feet back on the ground.

"Is it me, or does it feel a lot longer than three weeks?" Will asked her.

"It's not just you." Elizabeth replied honestly.

Sharing another brief smile, the two carried on walking uphill and held the other's hand as they walked in a slow pace.

"So, you know about my company, you know about my family background, you know my history and I know a bit about yours. What made you decide to be a nurse?" Will asked.

"Honestly? I can't really pinpoint the exact moment. When my mother walked out, Jane and I had to help our dad out in caring for Lydia. We'd help get her dressed, help feed her, help get her to sleep, watch over her when she was ill to give my dad a break. Even before Lydia was born and I was a much younger child I used to play nurses with my dad," Elizabeth explained, smiling at a memory, "I used to make him lay in my bed while I pretended to check his temperature and give him pretend medicine and told him to rest up."

"It's always appealed to you then, looking after others?" Will questioned

"I suppose so," Elizabeth replied, "Nursing is quite a rewarding job, helping to look after someone but it can be hard and draining as well."

"I've never thought about the impacts of a job like that."

"For my third and fourth year of university I was on placements. My third year I was a student Accident and Emergency nurse and my fourth and final year, I was a student nurse on the critical children's ward. Having to accompany a doctor and tell a family that their loved one wasn't going to make it and then staying with them to give them whatever they needed. Having to pull double shifts in A&E because there wasn't enough staff to handle the high demand. But I got through it."

"Would you be offended if I said I rather liked you in your nurse's uniform?" Will asked, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Coming to another stop, Elizabeth raised an eyebrow as she looked up at him.

"Have a thing for nurses, do you?" she asked teasingly.

Wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to him.

"Nurse. Singular. You." Will whispered.

He crushed his lips against hers that the surprised moan that she had let out was covered as his tongue invaded her mouth. She wrapped one arm around his shoulder and clutched him tighter while the other hand crept underneath his raincoat and the t-shirt Will wore underneath, feeling the warmth of his hip as she lightly scratched the skin there; causing Will to shudder in surprise. The kiss turned more heated, with Will moving one of his hands from her back lower, until his hand grasped firmly at her backside. When he pulled away from her lips, he kissed along her cheek and nipped lightly at her earlobe.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you while I was in London," he whispered, "You look absolutely gorgeous in that uniform you have to wear, especially when you wear that little tunic with black leggings. It really shows off your legs and body shape well. It drives me crazy."

Elizabeth groaned as he sucked on her pulse point. For someone who claimed to be terrible with women, he certainly knew the right things to say when it came to turning her on. Hearing him tell her that he liked the way she looked in her work uniform, that he was driven crazy by thoughts of her in her work uniform, made her want to drag him back to either of their bedrooms, lock the door and spend countless hours exploring each other's bodies.

Looking up at him, she saw that same look of desire in his eyes that she saw every time things got a little heated between them. It made her feel wanted more than just desired, it made her inner muscles clench at the thought that he wanted to know her in the most intimate ways that you could know a person.

"We should calm down." She panted.

He nodded in agreement and released her, letting her walk two steps ahead of him as they continued their walk through the forest.

As Elizabeth walked further on the path, she took deep breaths to try and calm herself down. She could hear his heavy footsteps on the ground as he walked at a slower pace behind her. How was she supposed to spend the rest of the day with Will when all she really wanted to do in this moment was get to know him on a more intimate, physical level?

ooOoo

They had spent the rest of the morning walking on the hike trails in the Forest of Bere, eventually the two of them had calmed down enough for them to go back to walking together and holding hands. As they continued on their walk, they learned about what the other did in their spare time. They both liked to go for a run, both chose Southsea seafront as their preferred running route. Her favourite colour was blue and he told her his favourite colour was red. Her favourite food was her aunt's cottage pie while he told her that he'd take a steak any day of the week. She didn't really support a football team, whilst he told her that growing up in Portsmouth he had lifelong support for Portsmouth Football Club; even if the team weren't doing as well as they used to.

Will learned she liked to read, that reading for her was a way to destress after a long day; especially after a long day of seeing patients at the GP surgery she used to work at. He told her that he used to go for bike rides in his spare time, but hadn't had the time to do so in recent years because of his father's diagnosis, death and everything that had happened with Georgiana. When their walk was finished, they got back in his car and made the drive to Port Solent where they would go and have some lunch. As Will parked the car in the large carpark at Port Solent, he noticed that she was a little quieter than she had been.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"My mother lives in Port Solent." Elizabeth muttered, looking up at him.

"Oh…I'm sorry…We can go somewhere else…" Will offered.

"Don't apologise. But knowing my luck, if we eat here I'll run into her." Elizabeth sighed.

Walking to her side of the car, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. She had told him the reasons behind why her mother had left after Lydia had returned from seeing their mother and although she said it was no big deal, he felt rage on the inside. How could someone give birth to three children and tell her daughters that she had never wanted any of them?

"I'm sorry that you were hurt by someone who is supposed to love you unconditionally. Your mother isn't worth much as a human being because of what she did to you, Lydia and Jane." Will whispered softly.

She gave him a quiet 'thank you' and a brief kiss before she asked if she could make them both lunch at her aunt and uncle's place, explaining that Ed and Maddie had planned to have a day of shopping for Jane's birthday next weekend and their sisters were at his house looking through the Rosings A Level course brochures. Nodding his agreement, they got back into the car and left the carpark.

Will drove them both down the M275 back into the city in silence, making Will think that he may have ruined his chance with her by taking her to lunch at Port Solent with the possibility they may have run into her absent mother. He had no idea how she must be feeling, knowing the real reason why her mother had left her. Sure, his own mother had died seven years ago, but he had been in his second year of university when that happened. He had been born and raised by his mother.

"Do you want to talk more about it?" he offered.

Elizabeth looked over at him and gave an appreciative smile.

"There's not much more to say. What can I do about it? I can't change the last fourteen years, I can't change how she feels, how she's always felt." Elizabeth sighed.

"It's just that, you're sitting here in silence and you've looked troubled ever since we parked up in the Port Solent carpark for retail visitors. If you were sitting next to her instead of me right now, what would you say?" Will asked.

Elizabeth exhaled heavily.

"I'd tell her that she was selfish. I'd tell her that she's the one who missed out, that I hate her for walking out on me."

"Do you have her address?"

"Yeah, Ed told me. She lives in the residential part of Port Solent. Opposite the marina."

"Do you want to have it out with her? Tell her how you feel and then walk away for good with closure?" Will asked.

She hesitated before shrugging.

"I can't do it today. Today was supposed to be about you and me, having some time together." Elizabeth stated.

"And you need to get closure on this, otherwise it's going to bug you for the rest of your life. Why not do it today? I'll be right there with you."

She hesitated again before she spoke.

"Are you sure?"

Will smiled at her and drove around the roundabout to drive back up the M275 to go back to Port Solent.

"I suggested it. I don't like seeing you upset over anything and if helping you face your mother and getting closure on her abandoning you will help, then I'm right here." Will said softly, briefly placing his hand on her thigh and giving it a light squeeze before returning it to the steering wheel.

ooOoo

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth clenched her hand into a fist and gave two sharp, loud knocks against the front door. As she retracted her hand and took hold of Will's, she exhaled sharply as she saw the front door open and was greeted by the look of surprise on her mother's face.

A brief pause as mother and daughter studied each other before Fran cleared her throat.

"I wasn't expecting to see you. I wasn't expecting to ever hear from my relatives ever again since your uncle came her with your younger sister." Fran commented.

"I wasn't expecting to come here either." Elizabeth retorted.

"Then why bother?"

Feeling Will give her shoulders a supportive squeeze, Elizabeth took another breath before replying to her mother's question.

"I just want five minutes to say what I have to say and then you won't see me ever again."

It was Fran's turn to hesitate before she stood the side and gestured for them both to come in. Not bothering to remove her shoes or coat, she followed her mother into the living room and watched as her mother made herself comfortable.

"So, what is it you have to say?" Fran asked, the tone of her voice somewhere between irritation and boredom.

"I just wanted to say that you're selfish. If you didn't want to be a mother, then you should have been responsible and not given in to pressure from whoever pressured you to get pregnant. For fourteen years, I've not had a mum, not that you were much of a mother before, but I was nine. I was at that age where I needed a female around because Jane and I were getting to an age where we really needed an older woman to be there. But I had a dad. An amazing dad. It was dad who had to explain why my body was changing, who had to explain the emotional, hormonal, agonising changes that my body was going through. It was dad who had to listen to why me and my friends fell out, it was dad who had to listen if a boy broke Jane's heart, it was dad who was there for me when I left home for the first time to go to university. It was dad who consoled me and drove all that way when my first relationship ended after four years. It was dad who cried and told me he was proud of me when I graduated after four years of university to get my nursing degree. It was dad who was there for me through everything. He was there with breakfast made for his three girls every morning. It was dad who ironed our school uniforms and dropped us off at the school gates. It was dad who came to every school play, took us to every doctor's appointment, cheered us on when we had a netball game. It was dad who told us that we tried our best and he was still proud when we didn't get the score we wanted on a test."

"Yeah. Yeah. Your point?"

"My point? You missed out on everything. You missed out on Lydia growing up, on me and Jane becoming teenagers and then heading off into the world of university. Of Jane finishing her degree and running Longbourn alongside dad. You missed out Sunday roast dinners and family walks in the village countryside. You missed out on summers in Portsmouth with Ed, Maddie and our cousins. You missed out on making memories. But more importantly, you missed out on seeing how close 'your girls' have become. You had an obligation to three girls who could have used you fourteen years ago, but you ignored it. You should have been there when dad died because a mother should support her children when they lose a parent, despite their feelings toward the other parent. You should have been there to help Lydia grieve properly and you should have been there when she went through all that stuff with that predator and you should have been there when Lydia had reached rock bottom when she tried to kill herself. You weren't. Jane and I were. We, the three of us, are all each other needs."

For the first time since her arrival at her mother's fancy house, Fran was stunned into silence. Elizabeth couldn't tell what was going through her mother's head, she had never had the chance to get to know what her mother might be thinking, but for the tiniest instant, there was a look on Fran's face that Elizabeth would have associated with regret.

"When you on are your deathbed, I hope you realise what you could have been a part of if only you had kept your promise to Ed and came back for us. But now, all I have left to say is that it's too late. If you ever find yourself wanting to rebuild, it's too late. I don't need you now, I needed you fourteen years ago, even if you were only in the background; I still would have known you were there. I hate you for abandoning us, for putting your own materialistic desires. I hope that it makes you happy, because if it doesn't then abandoning your daughters was for nothing." Elizabeth finished with a harsh tone of voice.

Taking Will's hand, she led him out of the house and slammed the front door behind them. For the past two weeks, despite everything being fine with her and her sisters, she had felt a nagging in the back of her mind when her thoughts briefly drifted to her mother and she had forced them to the back of her mind again. She had spent two weeks trying to figure out how she felt about her mother since Fran had revealed the truth behind her leaving them fourteen years ago and it wasn't until Will had brought her for lunch at Port Solent and then had spoken to her about it in the car that she knew that he was right; she had needed to do this before she spent the rest of her life letting it get to her.

Stopping at where his car was parked she wrapped her arms around his chest and rested her head against him. Elizabeth felt his arms envelope her in his warmth and kiss the top of her head.

"Are you okay?" Will asked softly.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she looked up at him and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Thank you, for encouraging me to get this off my chest." said Elizabeth.

He returned her smile.

"Do you feel better?"

"I do. Like a weight has been lifted."

"Good," Will said quietly as he gave her a brief kiss, "Now, shall we go and get some lunch?"

"Back on track for our date?" Elizabeth asked.

"I think so. But I'm still taking you out for dinner during the week." Will stated.

Releasing him, she walked around to get into the passenger side at the front of his car and buckled up her seatbelt; looking forward to moving ahead with her life now she had decided to let go of her past.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** So here's chapter twenty-two within the two week time slot as promised. Angst warning applied for those who get a bit nervous reading what I write. I hope to post again within the next fortnight from today. Enjoy!

 **Chapter Twenty-Two**

Riffling through her chest of drawers to find a pair of skinny jeans that Maddie had mistakenly put in her clean clothes rather than Lydia's, Elizabeth turned when she heard her little sister make herself comfortable on the bed.

"Is this going to be an awkward family dinner?" Lydia asked.

"I can't really say, Charles will be lovely, he always is," Elizabeth replied, "But I've only met his sister twice and both occasions I never really spoke to her and I've only met his father once."

"I just don't see why we are being dragged along to this when Jane and Charles have only been together for a short amount of time." Lydia complained.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she chucked the jeans at Lydia. Standing up, she took the few steps and sat on her bed next to Lydia.

"Jane said she wanted to spend it with us and Charles, it's her birthday. But I suppose Caroline Bingley wants to go all out and get the families together so just grin and bear it, we'll be out of there by nine." She instructed with a firm tone of voice.

"Fine." Lydia grumbled, taking the jeans and exiting the bedroom.

Elizabeth closed the bedroom door and heard her phone buzz where it sat on her bed. Picking it up, she smiled.

 _So, what are you up to this evening?_

 _Family dinner, Jane's birthday. You?_

 _A dreaded dinner. I'd much rather be with you._

If she was being honest with herself, Elizabeth would much rather spend time with Lydia and Jane but it wasn't her weekend. It was Jane's and her older sister wanted their family unit to have dinner with her boyfriend's family and Elizabeth knew how important Charles was to her sister.

 _You're sweet. I wish I could see you too._

 _And you're gorgeous. Have a nice weekend._

 _You as well._

She was changed ten minutes later, wearing her own pair of dark denim skinny jeans and a black top she usually wore for dinners out with the family if they were celebrating something special. She met Jane and Lydia downstairs and saw Maddie and Ed sat watching the soaps.

"Hang on, I thought you two were coming as well?" Elizabeth asked.

"Caroline has stated she wants 'immediate' family members only." Jane said, disappointment present in her voice.

"It's not Caroline's birthday." Elizabeth commented.

"So, if Caroline Bingley is making all the decisions for Jane's birthday meal, can we tell her where to shove it?" Lydia joked.

Jane hit Lydia lightly on the arm and shook her head.

"Come on Lydi, this is important to me." Jane pleaded.

"I'm coming. I know how much my IT teacher means to you." Lydia teased.

"Have a nice evening." Maddie smiled, waving goodbye to her three nieces as the sisters walked out into the hallway and into the cold, January air that was waiting for them.

Shivering, Elizabeth unlocked her car and the three of them scrambled in, buckling up before she made the drive to the Bingley family home. On the way there, she and Lydia tried to assure Jane that the evening would go well, that the two of them would be on their best behaviour and they would be there for moral support. Jane was nervous, asking if a family dinner with her boyfriend's family meant a step forward in the relationship. Elizabeth told her to relax, to enjoy the time with Charles week by week rather than worry about giving out house keys and deciding on their children's names and other serious things people might eventually discuss. She explained to her sister that her relationship with Charles was still quite new, it had only been a few months and they were still getting to know each other properly.

They pulled up on one of the streets in Fratton, a district of Portsmouth that was better known as a student village. Most of the terraced housing in the streets of Fratton were overcrowded with students who couldn't get any student accommodation in the student builds around the university. When they locked up the car and made the short walk to the house where Charles lived with his family, Elizabeth put on her best smile and walked into the house after Jane had knocked on the door.

"Welcome, Jane it is so lovely to meet you properly." Caroline commented.

After watching her older sister exchange a hug with the red-headed woman, she met Caroline's gaze and the other woman's greeting smile fell to a look of utter horror. Jane went through to the living room with Charles whilst Caroline, Lydia and Elizabeth stood in the hallway. Elizabeth wanted to close her eyes, the brightness of the orange evening dress that Caroline was wearing was hurting her vision as if she had spent five minutes staring directly at the sun.

"We've met, haven't we?" Caroline asked her, her eyes scanning over Elizabeth as if trying to decipher if she actually existed.

"Yes, we have. You came out on a night out with me and a few of my friends in October." Elizabeth replied politely.

"Oh yes…Edith…wasn't it?"

She heard the quiet croak in the back of her sister's throat, a sound that Elizabeth knew from Lydia quite well as her little sister tried to hide her laughter. She could picture Lydia biting her lip to suppress the laughter, her blue eyes looking up at the ceiling as she attempted to hide her amusement.

"It's Elizabeth, actually."

"Oh, my apologies. Eliza. And who is this?" Caroline asked, gesturing to Lydia.

"My younger sister, Lydia."

But Caroline wasn't really interested in Lydia's presence at all, merely waving her hand dismissively and told them to follow her into the other room so she could get them a glass of wine.

"Not for us, thanks." Elizabeth said, stepping into the living room.

"Oh, I should have realised, you prefer those watered-down shots they sell at the bars in Gunwharf Quays?" Caroline questioned.

Frowning, Elizabeth shook her head.

"No, it's not that. I just obey the law when I'm driving." Elizabeth explained.

"Come on, one glass won't hurt." Caroline insisted.

"She said no." Lydia said firmly.

The room went silent for a moment, with Jane staring at her sisters with a look that Elizabeth translated as 'please just try, for me.' and she gave her sister the same assuring smile she had when they had been in the car. But before Caroline could make a comment on Lydia's firm remark, they heard footsteps coming through from the adjoining dining room.

"Jane, Elizabeth, Lydia, this is my father Wesley Bingley." Charles introduced.

Elizabeth had met Wesley Bingley at the meet and greet barbecue before she had officially started at Rosings. But her eyes went to the man stood next to Wesley and instantly, she felt that the evening would have a better end than it had started as Will smiled at her warmly.

"Lovely to meet you, Jane and Lydia. I believe I have already met Elizabeth. You're on the staff at Rosings Park aren't you?" Wesley asked.

"That's right, I'm the school nurse." Elizabeth confirmed with a smile, shaking the older man's hand.

"Excellent school, my boy there was lucky to attend Rosings on a scholarship back in the day." Wesley boasted proudly.

"You never said." Jane smiled up at her boyfriend.

"Another thing I have to be grateful for to Reginald Darcy." Wesley said, clapping Will on the back.

"Yes, we all can agree that Rosings is by far the most excellent school in Portsmouth. You definitely have a lot of doors opened for you if you know the right people and had a Rosings education." Caroline agreed.

"Did you attend there as well?" Lydia asked.

Caroline's smile faded before she gave a little shake of the head.

"Carrie attended the City of Portsmouth girl's school." Wesley informed them.

"A state school, vile places." Caroline tutted.

"Not all state schools are vile." Lydia argued.

"Well I suppose you would say that, it's a poor shame that your family cannot afford the Rosings fees." Caroline said with fake sympathy.

"Caroline." Charles said, his voice low and warningly threatening.

"Actually, our uncle teaches there and managed to get Lydia a scholarship at Rosings for her last year of secondary education before she moves on to her two years of further education." Jane said politely.

Elizabeth had to bite her lip from returning Will's amused smile at Caroline being put in her place by Jane, albeit Jane hadn't meant what she said in that way but it certainly shut Caroline up for the remainder of the conversation.

As they all sat in the large living room, Wesley told them a little about the Bingley family. Wesley had married Charles and Caroline's mother before his wife had passed away when Charles was five. He had originally worked in London for TPA and eventually had worked up a friendship with Reginald Darcy who promoted him to oversee the Portsmouth investments TPA had and had managed to get a scholarship for Charles to attend Rosings after their sons had hit it off during TPA family events. Eventually, Wesley had been forced to take a very early retirement due to suffering a heart attack and instead he worked from home, like Maddie, as an admin for local businesses while also being on the board of governors at Rosings. Charles had shared a little more of his story, after attending Rosings for his secondary education, he attended South Downs College and gained a BTEC in ICT and went on to learn computer science at university and had worked at Novatech in Portchester since leaving school until he fancied a change of career but didn't want to give up his love of computing. Caroline had decided not to be so vocal in swapping life stories.

When Wesley handed out takeaway menus for everyone to look at, Caroline looked at her father like he had caught the plague.

"Takeaways? Surely a home cooked meal would be better?" Caroline scolded.

"Carrie, this isn't a formal gathering. One takeaway isn't going to hurt." Wesley stated.

"But still…Darcy might want a home cooked meal made…"

"I can assure you that a takeaway is fine, it isn't the end of the word and I have enough home cooked meals thank you, Caroline." Will said.

"Oh yes…your _housekeeper..."_

The sneer that came out of Caroline's mouth as she said 'housekeeper' made Elizabeth angry. Although she was still getting to know Alice, she knew that Alice Reynolds was more than just 'the help' to Will and Georgiana and hearing Caroline sound so disapproving of the woman who meant a great deal to Will made her think Caroline was quite disrespectful to those that Will cared for.

"Alice Reynolds is more than just my housekeeper, Caroline." Will stated coldly.

"Of course. I just imagine that you need a proper woman around to take care of you and sweet Georgiana. How is your sister, Darcy?" Caroline smiled.

"Georgiana is fine, thank you. And I am perfectly happy with Alice looking after us, she's managed the role quite well for long time." William replied.

"But wouldn't you want someone to take care of you in the form of a wife, for example?" Caroline asked.

Elizabeth heard the little croak in the back of Lydia's throat again. At least someone was getting some enjoyment out of watching Caroline throw herself at Will and not getting the right sort of reaction from the man in question.

"I'm not interested in marriage, Caroline. But I will gladly inform you that the role you hypothetically talk about is currently filled." Will stated, meeting Elizabeth's gaze and smiling warmly at her again.

Meeting his eyes, she returned his smile as she shifted for him to sit down next to her, leaving Caroline looking outraged.

"You…you're.." Caroline stammered, before coughing to calm herself, "I didn't realise you were on the dating market, Darcy."

"That's because it was none of your business, Carrie." Charles said coldly.

Wesley clapped his hands together, putting an end to the conversation.

"Okay, what is everyone in the mood for?" Wesley asked brightly.

Passing a menu to Will, she squeezed his hand tightly that she hoped expressed how much it meant to her what he had said to Caroline.

For the rest of the evening, Caroline sulked in the corner while the rest of them shared stories of childhood and how the Bennet girls had grown up at Longbourn, what Jane did with the B&B and the success the business seemed to be having after they had to start from scratch. With everyone but Caroline in agreement, Wesley ordered a curry to be delivered. While they were waiting for the food to arrive, Wesley engaged Lydia in conversation about how she was doing at school, having just started her second term there and the upcoming mock GCSEs that she was going to take in a few weeks.

"I'm managing quite well; the teachers are really good and I've made some friends." Lydia replied politely.

"That's good, you seem like a bright young girl." Wesley complimented.

"Thank you." Lydia smiled.

"Make the most of it Lindy dear, universities don't usually offer scholarships. So, I doubt you'll be attending Oxford for university, or Cambridge if you couldn't afford to go to Rosings." Caroline sneered.

Elizabeth met Caroline's cold stare.

"If Lydia wants to go to university, any university, there's a little thing called student loans and she plans to get a permanent job this summer when she finishes school so she can put some money behind her." Elizabeth said.

"Student loans, how _common_ for you." Caroline tutted.

"It's what the majority of people have to do if they want to go into higher education." Elizabeth argued.

"I had to do just that when I went to the University of Portsmouth for my computer science degree." Charles agreed.

"Imagine all that debt you have to pay off though, you're setting your sister up for a stressful period. Take Darcy for example, family money paid for his finest education and it will for dear Georgiana when she finishes sixth form." Caroline boasted.

"I think you'll find that the monthly repayments on a student loan don't start until you earn over twenty grand a year and even then, the repayments are quite low and get taken out of the wages each month." Elizabeth stated.

"I bet you don't know anything about it. I bet you don't even have a degree, you probably got your experience to work as a school nurse by caring for the elderly."

"For your information, I spent four years doing a nursing degree at the University of Suffolk, based at the Ipswich campus. Jane also spent three years getting her business management degree at the same university. Two years of my degree I was did placements in A&E and on the critical children's ward. After that I worked as a nurse practitioner at my local GP surgery for two years so I am perfectly qualified for any type of nursing." Elizabeth pointed out.

The room filled with an awkward silence as Caroline went red and opened her mouth to give a smart retort back to Elizabeth but shut her mouth a few seconds later. Elizabeth felt her inner self do a victory dance that she had managed to shut Caroline up, but as she met Jane's gaze she instantly felt guilty. Her sister looked disappointed with how the evening was turning out.

"Caroline, I think you need to go for a walk and get some fresh air." Wesley instructed.

"But-"

"Now. Caroline." Wesley said firmly, ushering her out of the room with a wave of his hand.

Caroline left the house after shoving her coat on and slamming the front door behind her. Everyone took a sigh of relief that the atmosphere could be something more pleasant.

"I'm sorry for my daughter's behaviour tonight. Frankly, she's an embarrassment. Caroline has strong opinions on subjects that she knows nothing or very little about." Wesley apologised.

"You shouldn't be apologising." Elizabeth stated.

"She never used to be like this. She used to be such a considerate girl when she was growing up, but now she's…" Wesley trailed off, trying to think of the correct word to describe his daughter.

"A shrew?" Lydia suggested.

Everyone laughed. Even Jane, who had clearly not really enjoyed the night that Caroline had wanted her to have. Just as the laughter died down, there was a knock at the door. Wesley got up from his seat and answered it, coming back into the room with a bag full of curries that everyone had ordered.

"Who's hungry?" Wesley smiled.

ooOoo

"So, all in all, not the best start to a birthday weekend?" Charles joked.

Jane shook her head slightly and gave a light laugh, sitting down at one of the booths and picking up a menu. After eating the curry that Wesley had ordered them for dinner, Charles told her that he was taking her to Sprinkles Gelato in Commercial Road for ice-cream, which she guessed was his attempt to make up for the disastrous evening.

"It was sweet that your sister wanted to do that for me. But all that happened was Caroline making digs and Lizzy feeling defensive." Jane sighed.

Charles sat in the seat opposite hers, taking hold of one of her hands and stroking the back of it.

"I'm sorry, Carrie can be a right cow. But come on, it was quite funny. I've never seen my sister be told off by my father like that since we were kids." Charles chuckled.

"I suppose that was one highlight." Jane agreed with an amused smile.

"And don't be mad at Lizzy. She was defending you all against Caroline's judgmental bitchiness."

"I don't want to be. It's just that Lizzy promised she would try and keep an open mind about Caroline."

"And I'm sure she walked into my home with good intentions to get along with my sister for your sake. But Caroline was trying to pick pieces out of your lives that she doesn't like for the reason that she found out that Lizzy and Will are together now and that scuppers her chances."

Jane raised an eyebrow, she couldn't believe that the woman she had briefly met a few weeks ago for a few minutes, who had offered to do something nice as a family get together meal for her birthday, would ruin the evening all because of a man who didn't return her feelings.

"So that's why she was horrible? Because she doesn't like it that my sister is dating your best friend?" Jane scoffed.

Charles nodded.

"She didn't like Lizzy anyway. Caroline came out on a night out with us back in October and all she did was complain about Lizzy and the other girls I work with." Charles said.

"That's….that's…"

"Typical Caroline for you. She likes to show off, assertive her interest aggressively. She only ends up embarrassing herself. Like tonight, when she hinted that she wanted to be in consideration for a marriage if he ever wants to get married again-"

"Will was married?" Jane questioned in surprise.

"Ah shit. Don't say anything to Lizzy, I don't know if he's told her." Charles pleaded.

"Of course, it's up to him to tell her if he wants her to know. How long was he married for?"

"Not long. On the day of the wedding, his ex-wife confessed to him as they had signed the certificate that she and a friend of ours were going to con him out of his money. Darcy walked away, went travelling with me and his cousin Richard for a while before requesting an annulment."

"Wow. That's…"

Jane was lost for words at the sum up of the situation that Charles had explained to her. She had always tried to believe the best in people, but recent events were now, in this moment, making her think that not everyone could be a decent human being. She was brought out of her thoughts by Charles squeezing her hand again.

"Come on. Happy thoughts. It's your birthday tomorrow and I'm treating you to ice-cream waffles to cheer you up for the disastrous evening and tomorrow morning, I'm making you breakfast in bed." Charles said positively.

"You don't have to go all out." Jane muttered.

"Yes, I do. Because you're my girlfriend and I want to. I love you, Jane." Charles smiled.

Feeling her eyes water up, she squeezed his hand and leaned across the table to give him a quick, sweet kiss to his lips before looking into his eyes.

"I love you too." She whispered back.

ooOoo

Hearing a knock on the door, Georgiana paused her TV show and walked out into the hallway. She could hear the water running from upstairs, even through the locked bathroom door, Alice had gone to take her bath before going to bed. And Will was still out at the Bingleys for dinner. Frowning, she opened the door by a few centimetres before her eyes widened in surprise at who stood on the doorstep.

"Hi Georgiana, is Will around?"

"No, he's out. What are you doing here, Sarah?"

The woman shifted uncomfortably on the doorstep and hesitated for a few seconds.

"I really need to talk to your brother, can I come in?" Sarah asked.

Georgiana shook her head. Although she had been quite young when her older brother had gotten married, she had learned the truth about her brother's brief marriage. How Sarah had been lying to her brother the entire time they had been together and had been after their family's fortune, along with a so called friend of his.

"I don't think so." Georgiana replied harshly.

"Please…Georgiana…I wouldn't be here unless it was really important." Sarah pleaded.

Opening the door a little further, Georgiana folded her arms and stood in front of the woman completely. She knew how much this woman had hurt her brother and for five years, they hadn't crossed paths. Until now.

"What is it you need to talk to Will about?" Georgiana questioned.

"I don't think I should tell you." Sarah answered.

"Why?"

"Because you're a child."

Georgiana shook her head.

"I've been through quite a lot recently, I'm trying to come through that. But you see this is the problem, Will and I have promised to be honest with each other. I can't tell him you came here without knowing why because Will has more sense than to talk to you." Georgiana said.

"It's about George Wickham." Sarah replied.

She laughed slightly, not amusingly.

"I think my brother knows better than to listen to you about George Wickham, don't you?"

"If you're not going to let me in and wait for him, then please give him a message. It's important." Sarah pleaded.

"Fine. What is it?" Georgiana asked.

"I don't know what he's up to but George Wickham is planning something. Something bad. I wanted to warn your brother to be careful. It's different from last time, Wickham is out for revenge and he doesn't care how many people he hurts in the process." Sarah warned.

Georgiana took Sarah's words in and as the raven-haired woman turned away from the door and began to walk out on to the street, she called her back.

"Sarah?" Georgiana called, "If what you say is true, that Wickham is out for revenge, surely the warning you gave to Will should also apply to you?"

But Sarah said nothing in reply, she just gave a simple shrug and disappeared into the night.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:** Thank you for the reviews on the last one, it will be a little while longer before you get to see if Sarah's warnings were right or not.

Just a heads up, I'm not sure when chapter twenty-four will be written and posted. May is a crazy month for me, lots going on with my kids, mother's birthday to sort out and my end of year essay exam on a subject I cannot understand for the life of me so 4000 words on that plus a few other requirements for finishing the year, real life is top priority at the moment. But hang on with me, I'll be returning and hopefully sooner than expected. You never know, you might get an update later on in May.

I hope you enjoy this one and I look forward to reading your thoughts :)

 **Chapter Twenty-Three**

The end of January came rather quickly to the citizens of Portsmouth but the winter weather still remained. Frosty mornings were still a regular thing, icy roads that were gritted by Colas, the council's city maintenance department, very early in the mornings and another common occurrence in Portsmouth: the heavy rainfall that caused the seafront buildings to flood because the sea defences were degrading and being damaged by the very heavy winds that caused the hovercraft and ferry services to the Isle of Wight and Gosport to be cancelled or delayed.

But on the thirty-first, the very end of the month where most people were happy because payday had finally arrived, was an occasion that the Darcy siblings would remember for the rest of their lives. It was the typical January morning, it had rained heavily the night before with high winds that bashed against the windows so William and Georgiana had slept very little. It was mid-morning as the younger sibling burst out of the court buildings in a hurry.

"Georgie. Georgie. Hold on." Will panted as he ran after his sister, coming to a full stop at the bottom of the steps that were the entrance to the court, "Talk to me."

"I just needed to get out of there!" Georgiana yelled as she turned around to face him, "I just want this to be over!"

"Okay, but there's no need to be anxious or upset. It's over now." Will said.

But his sister looked at him with a look somewhere between disbelief and hope. He knew that she had been dreading sitting in the court room at the sentencing of Gregory Jones and at first Georgiana hadn't wanted to come, but Will had managed to persuade her. He believed that in order for her to get some closure, it might help to witness her attacker being sentenced.

"It's not over, Will," Georgiana cried, "Yeah, he's been sent to prison. But I have to live with this for the rest of my life. What if I don't get past it? Will I ever be able to trust a boy ever again?"

Will sighed and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in for a comforting cuddle.

"He's never going to be able to hurt you again. He's been given seventeen years in prison for his rape and attempted rape crimes without any chance of parole. He's on the sex offenders register for life. His life is over. Yours can start again. We'll continue with the counselling, we'll get you through this one step at a time." He promised in a low voice.

She looked up at him, wiping her eyes and sniffed in her next breath.

"This country is a joke. Gregory gets seventeen years but that man who pimped out Lydia to his friends and kept her locked away from her family was only sentenced to eight years." Georgiana stated harshly.

"Look, I can't speak for the UK's justice system Georgie. It's down to each judge who oversees each criminal case brought to court. The important thing is that now we can start putting our lives back together without the thought of Gregory Jones hanging over our heads." Will replied softly.

His sister sighed heavily and nodded her head slowly as she stepped away from him, taking a deep breath. Will didn't know what to do for her in this moment of time. He had taken her to the sentencing, thinking it would help her but she was afraid of what the future might hold for her, whether her attempted rape would hold her back from future relationships, from trusting others and he didn't know how to help her with any of that. All he felt he could do was assure her that he would be there with her for whatever she needed, one step at a time.

"What do you want to do now? I don't have to drop you off at school until lunch time." Will pointed out.

"I think I just want to go home. Todays a big day for me and I just want to sit at home for the remaining hours until I have to go and reconnect with my friends." Georgiana replied.

"I know you feel nervous-"

"Bit of an understatement really. I've been off school for the past two months and I guarantee that I'll be the source of everyone's entertainment when they see me back there."

"Just remember, you have people who love you around and you don't need to bottle everything up. If it gets too much, go to the school counsellor. Talk to Lydia, Kit or Mary. You have good friends." Will assured.

"I do have good friends." Georgiana agreed.

Wrapping an arm around his sister's shoulder, he walked them both back to his car and drove them home where they spent the rest of the morning playing cheat with Alice until it was time for Will to drop her at school.

Lydia met them both in the school reception area, greeting Georgie with an enthusiastic hug and smile. Watching his sister smile back at Lydia, her shoulders seemed to slump down in relaxation as if all Georgiana needed was a familiar face. Smiling and saying his goodbyes, he watched as Lydia led Georgiana down the corridor and disappear out of sight as they turned the corner.

"Ah, Fitzwilliam. Has Georgiana gone off for lunch?" Catherine asked as she stepped out of her office.

"Yes, I've just dropped her off. Lydia Bennet will be watching out for her." Will informed his aunt.

Catherine handed the receptionist a pile of paperwork and rolled her eyes at the mention of Lydia Bennet. Will frowned, wondering exactly what his aunt's problem was with the girl who was proving to be a good influence on Georgiana.

"Do you have a problem with Lydia Bennet?" Will asked.

"As a pupil, no. Academically, she does well in all her subjects, including GCSE choice ones, and she hasn't been sent out of a lesson or had a detention. On paper, she's the ideal girl that Rosings needs. But she was involved in the Laura Annesley drama and given that she has a bit of a shady past-"

"What exactly do you mean?" Will asked, fearing what his aunt might know.

"Just that she was homeschooled, had a spot of trouble at her last school where she was absent a lot and she was involved in some criminal case where she was an important witness but I wasn't informed of the details. Her attendance at the last school was below the required percentage set out by the government and local authorities and she hardly comes from a desirable background. Her uncle had a lot of meetings and practically begged me to give his niece a scholarship. Edward Gardiner assured me that Lydia Bennet needed a second chance and, like I said, as a pupil she is ideal. But as a person, I wouldn't want her mixing with Georgiana." Catherine explained.

"Who Georgiana mixes with is none of your concern." Will stated firmly.

"Well perhaps it should be. Georgiana's choice of friends is rather questionable. Laura Annesley and Gregory Jones are proof of that. Lydia Bennet barely kept her grades up at her last school and she spent most of the school year skiving off. I just don't want dear Georgiana falling even further behind than she already is because of her _indiscretions-"_

Will held out his hand to cut Catherine off midsentence. He felt his anger rising that Catherine still thought it was Georgiana's fault about what happened with Gregory when she was the one who had been drugged and abused. As for Laura, it wasn't Georgie's fault that Laura had managed to hide her true intentions for all these years. And he had learned not to judge Lydia based on her past when he knew that the youngest Bennet sister could perhaps be the one to get Georgie through her ordeal and perhaps make his little sister happy again by being a true friend.

"I'd stop talking any more on the subject. I can handle my sister quite well thank you." Will said firmly.

Catherine raised an eyebrow.

"Dear nephew, I was merely voicing my own concerns." She stated.

"Which weren't wanted or asked for. If I want your advice on parenting I'd ask you directly. But while we're on the subject, I wouldn't ask you for parenting advice because you hardly did a good job raising Anne."

Catherine looked shocked. Like she had been slapped in the face with a wet fish a few times and was unsure of how to respond.

"And I'd suggest that you just maintain the headteacher/pupil relationship rather than judge a girl on her past. Lydia obviously went through something, she lost her only parent like Georgie and for someone to have that loss, go through something so bad and come out of it being a mature young girl who works hard is a big achievement. I believe Lydia Bennet could help Georgie come through her ordeal and help her grieve for our father properly so I'd suggest you just leave her alone and leave me to worry about Georgiana." Will stated.

His aunt cleared her throat before giving him the famous, icy cold Catherine de Bourgh stare that she used to try and intimidate people. It had never worked on him.

"How would you know anything about Lydia Bennet? Unless…"

His aunt paused for a few more seconds before the lightbulb seemed to switch on inside her head.

"Unless…you're having some sort of relationship with the older sister? Elizabeth. My school nurse." Catherine accused.

"Who I see is none of your business." Will replied.

"Clearly you are out of your mind, nephew!" Catherine shrieked.

"I assure you that I'm not." Will drawled.

"I insist you break it off with her!"

"I won't."

Turning his back on his aunt, he bade goodbye to the receptionist, throwing her an apologetic and sympathetic look and returned to his car.

ooOoo

Sitting outside with her friends again seemed like a whole world away from how she had spent the past two months. Georgiana sat on the usual picnic bench in the playground, that Laura had claimed as theirs a long time ago, and took a bite out of her apple. So far, despite having only been back in school for ten minutes, everything seemed to be going okay. She'd had excited and welcoming hugs from both Kit and Mary who told her that they were both pleased to have her back because they'd missed her and both had informed her that they had washed their hands of Laura Annesley. And then they'd gotten out the sixth form brochures for Rosings that all year elevens were given out to choose their A Level choices for the next two years.

"I love how there are so many more options available." Kit gushed as she flicked through her own.

"Maybe stick with art and design and design technology, sis." Mary said, not looking up from her copy.

"There's no harm in broadening our horizons." Kit argued.

"I quite like the look of law."

"You always have to look at the academically boring stuff, Mary."

"Georgie, have you had any thoughts on your A Level options yet?" Lydia asked.

Taking hold of Lydia's copy of the brochure, she recalled the conversation she and Lydia had had a few weeks ago when Lydia had spent the day round hers and they had discussed possible course options they would each choose. Personally, she wanted to take classical music and because she had a fifty percent share in TPA, she thought it would be best if she took up business studies if it would help her understand TPA when the time was right for her to take her share of the company.

"I'm still thinking it through. But I think I want to take classical music, business studies, maybe politics. I also like the look of media studies. I left my brochure at home so I'll have a proper look at it tonight." Georgiana answered.

Lydia smiled and told her the options she was considering and Georgiana felt more at ease than she had done in months. Lydia was interested in taking media studies at A Level, alongside photography, film and psychology. But just as she finished her apple and tossed the leftovers into the nearest bin, she suddenly began to feel nervous as she saw Denny walking towards them.

"Still deciding on A Level courses?" Denny asked the group.

Mary gave a simple shrug as she continued to flick through the book whilst Kit was asking Denny for his opinion on if she should stick with art and design and design technology or whether she should be considering other options whilst Lydia informed him of what she was considering. Georgiana remained silent, unsure of what to say to Denny. She felt nervous because she still felt guilty of how Laura had treated him, how she shunned him after the play incident in year nine when he had told her that he liked her and with Sarah's recent warning in mind about his brother and how her own brother had seemed to shrug it off, she wasn't sure where she stood with Denny.

"Georgie, can I talk to you for a second?" Denny asked.

Snapping out of her thoughts, her heart started beating faster. And faster. Shit. He wanted to talk to her. She knew that they would have to talk eventually, she had been partnered with Denny for their next English coursework project but this was her first day back on a part-time basis.

"Um…" Georgiana mumbled.

She turned to look at Lydia who only gave her an encouraging smile.

"Sure." Georgiana said quietly, picking up her schoolbag and walked over to the next empty picnic bench to sit with Denny.

When the two of them were sat down, she bit her lip nervously.

"I just wanted to say that it's good to have you back and that if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me." Denny offered.

Georgiana felt stunned. Why was he being so nice to her?

"Look Denny-"

"Laura was a total bitch and when you're ready to hear about the play and what I did with her, I'll tell you. But we don't need to talk about that right now. I just want you to know that I've missed being your friend and I want to help you through this."

She felt like crying. She couldn't handle the kindness he was giving her. How could she have believed Laura when her former best friend had told her that all Denny wanted was sex and was tired of her not sleeping with him? How could she have allowed Laura to have that much influence and power over her and how could she be so stupid not to see that Laura had never been her friend?

"I wouldn't blame you if you wanted nothing to do with me. I told you I wanted nothing to do with you after what happened with you and Laura during the play rehearsal. I didn't exactly stop her whenever she chose you out to be her victim. So why would you want to help me through this?" she asked, her voice full of emotional distress and hurt.

"Well that's in the past, we have to move on eventually," Denny said, giving her a small smile, "But Laura isn't here to reign over us all anymore. So, if you need anything, I'm here."

Hesitating for a few moments, she debated whether she should ask him if she knew anything about George and if Sarah and he were plotting against her brother again. But she decided against asking Denny about it. It was her first day back at school and if Will wasn't too concerned about a potential George Wickham revenge plot, she decided that she should focus on getting back into the normality of going to school and preparing for her GCSEs.

The bell rang, indicating the end of lunch break. The two of them stood up and walked back over to where Lydia, Kit and Mary had been sitting and the five of them headed back into the school buildings for the next lesson.

ooOoo

Elizabeth sat in her office, typing up a report on an incident that had happened earlier that day. Two year tens had gotten into a fight and one of the boys had ended up badly injured. She had been called to the humanities department with her first aid kit when the history teaching assistant had told her that there had been a fight in the first period history year ten GCSE class. Her uncle had managed to get the fight to calm down and restrain the attacker but the victim had suffered a possible two broken ribs, swelling to his abdomen and a possible fractured jaw and when she had found out the cause of the fight, she couldn't help but feel angry that a pupil had been attacked over a stupid 'your mum' joke that the other boy couldn't let go of. So her morning had been quite a busy one, having to call an ambulance to take the victim to hospital and accompany the victim's family to A&E to hand over and keep informed on updates to the boy's condition.

Then she had returned to Rosings to be given a very frosty reception and debriefing from Catherine and hurried off to eat her lunch before returning to the medical room to start writing up her report on the incident. Her work day tomorrow looked like it was going to be jam packed as well, having been informed by Catherine that she was required in a meeting with the attacker's parents to discuss the victim's injuries so that her boss could make the best punishment decision possible.

As she finished typing up her sentence, she heard a knock on the door to the medical room. She knew that she had left it wide open in case a student needed to come to the medical room.

"Lizzy?" Ed called out.

"In the office." Elizabeth called back.

She heard her uncle's footsteps and a second later he appeared at her door.

"Busy typing up reports?" Ed asked, leaning casually in the doorway.

Leaning back on her swivel chair, Elizabeth sighed heavily.

"According to Catherine, this school is going very downhill and she is most displeased." She replied.

"I know, I had a meeting with her during third period. According to our boss, as the head of the humanities department, I should be ensuring that all students in history, RE, geography and travel and tourism should not be behaving in the manner of savages." Ed said mockingly.

"Careful, she might have someone spying." Elizabeth warned with a laugh.

"I'm sorry she's being so hard on you." Ed apologised.

"It's not your fault." Elizabeth said.

"But if I had told you a long time ago that I was in touch with Francine and she was living in Portsmouth, you may not have moved out here." Ed argued.

"Look, we can't keep coming back to that. You apologised, I've said what I had to say to her, it's over. I don't regret bringing Lydia here, it's what she needed. In fact, it's been good for both of us so far." Elizabeth replied.

Ed gave her a warm smile, the tension between them both was over now and Elizabeth hoped that they could eventually move past the Francine drama completely, as if it had never happened.

"So, what are you supposed to be doing?" Elizabeth asked, nodding towards the heavy and thick folders that her uncle was carrying.

"I'm supposed to be marking year eight essays on Henry VIII and his decision to break from the catholic church and there was a work email sent out that Catherine has drawn up contracts for the next school year so I went to the staff room and collected mine from my pigeon hole." Ed replied, picking a large white envelope out of the top folder and showing it to her.

"I haven't had an email about new contracts." Elizabeth muttered, frowning in confusion.

"Come to think of it, I didn't see a new contract in your pigeon hole when I was in the staff room." Ed mused.

Thoughts were beginning to run through her head. She hadn't received an email notifying her that the new contracts for the next school year had been given out to staff and her uncle hadn't seen a new contract in her pigeon hole when he had been in the staff room. Elizabeth was starting to fear that Catherine had either forgotten to email her and offer her a new contract or she wasn't going to have her school nurse position when the new school year started in September.

"Ed…if I didn't get an email and there was no big white envelope in my pigeon hole…does that mean I'm out of a job when my contract ends in the summer term?" Elizabeth asked.

Ed pulled a face. A face which she knew from her uncle if he didn't want to hurt her feelings.

"I get it. Catherine hasn't renewed my contract."

"I'm sorry, Lizzy." Ed apologised.

"And Catherine isn't exactly the forgettable type, is she?" Elizabeth asked.

Ed shook his head.

"I'm afraid not." Her uncle confirmed.

"What am I going to do? I can't not have a job. What's the issue that Catherine has with me? I've always been on time and haven't missed a day of work." Elizabeth said loudly.

She felt devastated. She had never been in this position before and she didn't like the feeling of desperation that she was feeling right now.

"Lizzy, I think you need to take this up with Catherine. But handle the situation calmly, she won't respond well if you blow up at her," Ed warned, "If you get to the bottom of it, I'll help you with the next step, if there is a next step."

Looking back at her computer screen, Elizabeth hit the save button on the report she was supposed to finish and locked up the medical room as her uncle headed back in the direction of the humanities corridor and she walked up to Catherine's office; determined to find out why her boss hadn't informed her that she wasn't getting her contract renewed.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N:** Thanks for the patience for updates, university is now over with for four months. I'm hoping to continue with fortnightly updates.

Just a heads up, this story is rated M for a reason. There's a sex scene and I'm crap at writing them so spare me the torture ;)

Enjoy.

 **Chapter Twenty-Four**

If there was one thing that Elizabeth had come to hate about Portsmouth, it was rush hour traffic during the mornings and the late afternoons, especially when she'd had a bad week at work. Early February had remained the same as January when it came to the weather, to the point where rain water was started to leak from the very tiny gap underneath the front door that Ed had had to resort to putting down a towel by the front door to try and soak up any water that came through. At work, everyone was talking about their contract renewals and it appeared that she had been the only one who hadn't been offered a new contract for the next school year and that made her feel drained and empty. She didn't want to talk about contract renewals and had to resort to excusing herself early from eating lunch with Charles, Charlotte and Aimee two days after her uncle had told her about the renewals and each time she tried to catch Catherine alone for five minutes, it seemed like her boss was deliberately avoiding her.

But today it was Friday and all she had to do was get through the workday and then she'd have two days to herself at home. Maddie and Ed were spending the weekend in Bournemouth visiting Maddie's sister and Lydia was having a sleepover at Georgiana's with Kit and Mary. In her mind, she was already looking forward to putting her feet up and watching crap on TV if it took her mind off Rosings Park. But she could hardly start the workday when she was stuck on Winston Churchill Avenue in rush hour traffic first thing on a Friday morning.

The rain was battering her windscreen and all she could do was stare and the wipers clearing the drops of water backwards and forwards and watch the car in front of her drive a few paces before hitting the brake again. She heard a tiny 'hhhmpphhh." and turned to face a concerned looking Lydia.

"What?" Elizabeth sighed.

"Something is bothering you." Lydia said.

"Sorry Lydi, I've just got some things on my mind." Elizabeth apologised.

"Like what?"

"I don't really want to get into it. You should be thinking about you're A Level choices and revising for your GCSEs."

"Mocks are over and to be honest I'm thinking about half-term when we get to home for the week." Lydia said excitedly.

That was the bright side. Schools finished for the February half-term on the fourteenth and they were planning to go home and spend some time with Jane at Longbourn. A whole week where she didn't have to go to work.

"So, come on," Lydia urged, "Spill it."

Elizabeth sighed again, driving the few paces forward before coming to another halt. If she knew anything about her sister, she knew that Lydia wasn't going to let her be until she'd told her what was going on in her head.

"Catherine has renewed contracts early and I didn't get one. When the summer term finishes, I'm going to be out of a job." Elizabeth said quietly.

"Do you know why?" Lydia asked.

"No. Catherine appears to be avoiding me. I've never missed a day or been late for work so she can't say it's because of that. I know we've clashed a few times over some decisions that I've made like when we had that outbreak at the start of the school year and I had to send some students home and then signing Georgiana off school for two months after her attempt and now the year eight boys this week I've had to sign the victim off school for two weeks so he can recover at home. But that's my job, I have to put the wellbeing and health of the student's first and not the school's performance reputation." Elizabeth explained.

"I know that Lizzy, you wouldn't be a good nurse if you didn't."

Seeing the traffic move again, Elizabeth muttered _finally_ as they continued down Winston Churchill Avenue and then took the junction that led to Old Portsmouth. The roads were not well designed for the island city and most well off households had two cars.

"I'm going to try and corner Catherine today and demand an explanation. Find out why she didn't renew mine and she has to have a very good reason." Elizabeth stated.

"I would but keep calm about it yeah?"

"I will."

"What are you going to do, if she doesn't renew your contract?" Lydia asked nervously.

"I haven't thought that far ahead yet." Elizabeth replied honestly.

"I only ask because the next two years of my life are going to be in Portsmouth and I know Maddie and Ed are okay with us living with them for longer than originally planned but you only moved to Portsmouth to be with me, to give me a fresh start. You put all your plans on hold for me." Lydia explained.

"I don't regret a single thing." Elizabeth affirmed.

"I'm just saying that if you want to go back to Thurston then I'll be okay. You don't need to sacrifice any more on my part." Lydia offered.

"Lydi, I don't see if as giving things up reluctantly. My relationship with Oscar ended because I needed to be with you and Jane, I wanted to be with you and Jane because I needed you both just as much as you needed me. I don't regret not going to Africa and volunteering. I stayed where I was needed and where I needed to be. Where I wanted to be. And giving up my job at the surgery was the right thing to do because Jane and I didn't want to leave you alone to start over." Elizabeth assured her.

"I just feel guilty sometimes, thinking that you had this whole life that was yours and you gave it all up for me." Lydia mumbled.

"Hey, stop those guilty thoughts. I wanted to come with you, Jane did as well but it was more logical for me because Ed knew Rosings was looking for a school nurse. You can't move a B&B and Jane wanted to get Longbourn back up and running. I needed this fresh start as well, even though you needed it more." Elizabeth said softly.

"I can't help it." Lydia admitted quietly.

"Well, you know that I don't hold anything against you. It was my choice to come and I don't resent you for the things I chose to give up because you and Jane are more important to me than volunteering in Africa and a job at the surgery. If Catherine doesn't renew my contract, I'll look around for a job."

"In Portsmouth?"

"There's no harm in staying just because I won't be at Rosings anymore. Besides, I have you and another reason to stay."

Although she was paying attention to driving and the traffic in front of her, she could tell that her little sister was smirking at her and could picture her sister looking at her with raised eyebrows.

"Would this reason be a tall, dark haired, dark eyed man that you can't stop thinking about?" Lydia asked teasingly.

"Perhaps." Elizabeth replied nonchalantly.

Lydia snorted in amusement because laughing.

"If you're even going to try and pretend that he's not the reason, you need to work on your poker face."

"What are you on about?"

"The big grin on your face every time I tease you about Will is there. I don't think I remember seeing you this happy with a man before. I was too young to remember your relationship with Daniel and yeah, Oscar made you happy. I didn't see you grin that widely whenever George's name was mentioned. With Will, it's different, isn't it?"

Elizabeth nodded and smiled to herself. She would never deny that she'd been in love with Daniel and Oscar and that she'd even liked George but over the past six weeks, Will had come to mean so much more to her. She didn't know whether it was down to their similar experiences of losing their parents, their shared experiences of parenting a teenager or just how she felt about him in general; but it was clear to her that she couldn't imagine her life without him being in it.

"It is different," Elizabeth confirmed, "Even on the shittiest day, I think of him and it doesn't make me feel down anymore."

"Maybe you should do something with Will this weekend. I'm out all weekend unless you want me to stay in with you?" Lydia asked.

"We called each other on the thirty-first to talk about Gregory's sentencing and he told me that he had to go to London for a few days on business and he was back yesterday but he spent some time with Georgiana which is perfectly understandable. I'll text him during first break and see if he wants to eat lunch together and bring it up then." Elizabeth replied.

"Good. And don't spend the whole weekend moping about the job thing. Maddie and Ed aren't charging you rent so it's not like you have to worry about finances. Come to think of it, do they charge you anything? I know you give me money each week as 'pocket money' but we've never discussed bills and stuff with them." Lydia said.

"I pay two hundred and fifty to them each month towards food, gas, electric, water and council tax. Other than that, I don't pay for anything else. The rest of my wages goes on you, savings and my car expenses and the times I want to go out." Elizabeth replied.

"Not too bad then."

"No, it's quite a good for me. Ed and I discussed it before we came to live with them, I couldn't just accept their generous offer of rent free, I wanted to contribute something to the household bills and since they've been so used to feeding themselves and Trip, an extra two would have been more expensive."

She pulled into the staff carpark and parked the car in one the empty spaces available before the two of them said their goodbyes and got out of the car, hurrying for the school buildings as the bell rang to start first period.

ooOoo

When the bell rang for lunch time, Elizabeth was looking forward to a weekend without seeing the Rosings corridors or her medical room. She sat in her office, munching on the fruit pot she had bought in the cafeteria at first break, reflecting on her conversation with Catherine during fourth period.

 _"Catherine, I just wanted to speak with you for five minutes."_

 _"What is it Miss Bennet?"_

 _"The new contracts have been given to everyone on the payroll except me. I wanted to ask if there had been a mistake?"_

 _Catherine shook her head._

 _"No there hasn't been," her boss confirmed, "I am not renewing your contract of employment for September."_

 _"May I ask why? Have I done something wrong?" Elizabeth asked._

 _Catherine merely looked at her like an annoying fly that just wouldn't go away._

 _"Why don't you ask my nephew?" Catherine sneered in reply._

She was trying to process what Will could have possibly said to Catherine to make her boss not renew her work contract. From the impression she got from her boss, Catherine knew that she and Will were dating and it was clear that Catherine didn't approve. A knock on her office door snapped her out of her thoughts as she looked up and was greeted by Will.

"I closed the door to the medical room like you asked." Will informed her, sitting in the comfortable chair next to her desk.

Swinging on the swivel chair to face him, she nodded and put her fruit pot on her desk. Will studied Elizabeth's face, frowning as his eyes turned from happy to see her to concerned about her.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

Letting out a sharp exhale of breath, Elizabeth tried to push the negative feelings to one side but was finding it difficult.

"What did you say to Catherine?" Elizabeth questioned.

"What do you mean?"

"Catherine isn't renewing my contract of employment for the next school year and when I asked her why she wasn't she told me to ask you."

The look of concern for her changed to a look of anger or frustration. He sat forwards, placing his unopened packet of sandwiches on the table and took one of her hands.

"I will sort this, I promise. She can't legally do that because you're dating her nephew." Will said, his anger present in his voice.

"I think you've done enough." Elizabeth sighed.

He frowned again.

"Wait…are you mad at me or something?" Will asked.

Elizabeth shrugged. She honestly didn't know if she was mad at Will or not for provoking Catherine.

"I don't know." She replied.

He let go of her hand and sat up straight. The brown eyes that were usually so warm and alight when he looked her now were now filled with hurt, frustration, disbelief. As she maintained eye contact with him, Elizabeth felt an invisible hand wrap around her intestines and start squeezing hard as she felt guilty for hurting his feelings.

"I don't believe this. Catherine was on at me that I shouldn't allow Georgiana to be friends with Lydia because of things she heard about your background and when I defended Lydia, she guessed that the two of us were together and she demanded that I end our relationship. And do you know what I said? I told her that I wouldn't. Do you know why? Because you mean more to me than my aunt's unwanted and unwelcome opinion." Will half-shouted at her.

"And because you felt you had to defend me and my sister, your aunt is punishing me for it. I've never been fired or made redundant before, Will, I took this job because I didn't want Lydia to be on her own in Portsmouth. Now what am I supposed to do? The government are making so many cuts to public health that the NHS is at risk of becoming private and UK citizens will have to pay thousands and thousands just to stay healthy. That also means that jobs working in public health have also been cut so finding a job in a hospital might not be as easy as it was for me when I worked at the GP surgery when I finished my degree." Elizabeth ranted.

"So that's it?" Will shouted, "The only reason to stay in Portsmouth is for a job?"

"No." Elizabeth began to protest, "Of course not-"

"Seems pretty obvious to me."

Before she could explain that the job wasn't the only reason for her stay in Portsmouth, how she wanted to stay with Lydia for the next two years and also be with him; Will got up from his seat and stormed out of her office. Hearing the door to the medical room open and slam shut again behind his exit, Elizabeth let out a scream of frustration, picked up her fruit pot and threw it in the bin on the other side of her office.

ooOoo

Lydia knocked on the door to the Darcy residence and was greeted by a rather enthusiastic Kit opening the front door. Stepping inside the house, Alice took her bag and coat while she stepped into the living room to see a rather grumpy looking Mary sat on the sofa as Georgiana was painting her fingernails.

"Cheer up Mary." Lydia said happily.

"Being girly really isn't my thing." Mary complained.

"Come on, I haven't had girl time for months," Georgiana pleaded, "I just want to get back to normal and this will help."

"Yeah, take one for the team Mary." Kit laughed.

Mary rolled her eyes and went back to watching Georgiana painting her nails. As Lydia stood, she called out Georgiana's name and asked if they could talk privately. Kit took over with the nail painting while Lydia and Georgiana stood on the other side of the living room.

"What's up?" Georgiana asked.

"Lizzy came home from work in a foul mood. She wouldn't talk about it and all she told me was it'd been a crap day and wanted to be on her own." Lydia replied.

"You know, Will's been the same. Ever since he came home after having lunch with Elizabeth at school, he's been holed up in the kitchen pretending to be looking over company policies and profit numbers over the last quarter." Georgiana said, quite puzzled.

"Do you think something happened between them?"

"Would make sense."

"Should we do something?" Lydia asked.

"Perhaps we should talk to Will." Georgiana replied.

The two girls went into the kitchen and stood in the doorway. Alice was washing up a few dirty glasses and plates and Will was sat at the kitchen table, looking at his laptop screen and typing away. Georgiana let out a little cough and he looked up at the two girls.

"Something wrong?" Will questioned.

"Kind of. We wanted to ask you what happened between you and Elizabeth today." Georgiana answered carefully.

Will sighed heavily, pressing a button on the laptop before closing the lid and staring back at the two girls.

"That's between me and Elizabeth." Will stated stubbornly.

Lydia rolled her eyes. It appeared that both her sister and Georgiana's brother were being stubborn about whatever happened between the two of them.

"Well, Lizzy arrived home from work in a foul mood and I know there's more to it than her contract not being renewed." Lydia said.

"So, spit it out big brother. Did the two of you have an argument?" Georgiana asked.

"If you must know," Will replied irritably, "Elizabeth got angry that it was me as to how Catherine found out we were dating and feels like because of me, Catherine is punishing her. She made it pretty clear that the only reason to stay in Portsmouth was for a job."

Lydia shook her head and snorted in disbelief.

"Then you really don't know my sister that well after six weeks of dating. Lizzy is only upset about losing her job because she's never been sacked before. And this morning she told me that she'd stay not just for me, but for you as well." Lydia scolded him.

William opened his mouth to reply but closed it again, as if trying to process what she had just said to him. He seemed surprised that Lizzy would say something like that.

"I need to go." Will announced, pushing back his chair and leaving the kitchen.

Looking at Georgiana, she rolled her eyes and laughed as they heard the front door slam to a close behind Will on his way out.

"Typical. Are we always going to push the two of them together?" Lydia asked.

Georgiana simply smiled.

"Let's hope not. Besides, he needed it this time. And on the plus side, we won't have my older brother moping while we're having girl time."

Nodding in agreement, the two girls went back into the living room to continue nail painting.

ooOoo

Elizabeth was sprawled out on the sofa lazily, flicking through the TV channels until she decided to watch a Friends repeat episode on Comedy Central. Her day had been crap and all she wanted was to sit around and mope. Lydia had offered to stay home with her but she'd sent her sister off to have some fun, the last thing she wanted was to ruin Lydia's weekend as well. Just as the TV went to the break, she saw her phone light up from where it sat on the coffee table.

 _Are you alone?_

Seeing the text message from Will made her heart beat faster, the way it always did when he texted her when they were apart.

 _Yes, Ed and Maddie are in Bournemouth for the weekend visiting Maddie's sister. Lydia is out with Denny. Why?_

Just as her reply had been confirmed as a sent message, she heard Trip barking from the hallway. Muting the TV, she heard a light knock on the front door and got up from the sofa. Walking out into the hallway and opening the front door, she stepped to the side so that Will could come into the house.

"Hi." He greeted her quietly.

"Hey." She replied awkwardly.

"I'm sorry for kicking off the way I did. I overreacted."

"You didn't give me time to explain. I'm not mad at you, I just wish you could have told me that Catherine knew we were dating."

"I know."

There was a moment of silence between them as he stepped closer to her, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

"Did you mean what you said?" Will asked her softly.

Elizabeth frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Lydia told me that you'd stay in Portsmouth for her and for me. Is it true?"

"Yes."

He smiled at her warmly and she founded herself returning his smile. Closing the door behind him, she yelped in surprise as she found herself pressed back against the front door and his lips instantly attacked hers in a crushing, heated and passionate kiss where his lips moulded over hers and tackled with her tongue. His hands were pushing at her tunic, travelling underneath and touching at her skin; eventually stopping at her bra and cupping her breasts. She moaned desperately as he squeezed them lightly, pulling away at the material so that his hands could feel the flesh underneath. Elizabeth felt that need coursing through her body, her hands pulling his shirt out of his jeans before her hands tried to reach the button. Pulling away from her, Will looked down at her with desire fuelled eyes and lifted her up, tucking her legs around his hips and his arms around her waist.

"Where's your bedroom?" Will asked in a raspy whisper.

"Upstairs," Elizabeth replied, "Second on the right."

Without another word, Will carried her up the stairs as she attacked the buttons on his shirt and ran her fingers over his chest, pressing her lips to his neck and nipping lightly which caused Will to let out a groan. He reached her bedroom, kicking the door to a loud shut behind them as he dropped her on to the bed and climbed over her. His lips were on hers again, kissing her heatedly as her hands unbuttoned the rest of his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders, the two of them breaking the kiss as Will shrugged it off quickly and chucked it over his shoulder, not caring where it landed on her bedroom floor.

His hands went to the hem of her nurses tunic, pushing it upwards slowly as she raised her arms above her head and allowed him to remove it from her body, both panting and trying to regain a slower pace. Elizabeth believed that she was dreaming. Since they had become a couple in December, they had put a stop to things going too far between them, she had imagined their first time to happen after they had been together for a while and had been too scared to push things further because she was unsure of how he would react. They both teased each other, flirted and used innuendos as to what they would like to do to each other alone but it had never gotten this far between them before. He looked her like he wanted nothing more than to pleasure her.

Will crawled towards her, laying her back against the pillows as he peeled away her bra and cupped her breasts in his hands; kneading them gently as she let out a small moan. He kissed a trail of kisses down her neck, across her collar bone and took a breast into his mouth and suckled and nipped which made her cry out and writhe beneath him. Elizabeth closed her eyes, her mind filled with nothing as he continued the torturous pleasure he was putting on her breasts, feeling one of his hands pulling her leggings down and tracing a tickling line with his index finger along the line where her knickers sat. Opening her eyes, she pulled his head away from her breasts and looked into his lust filled eyes.

"Are we…really...doing…this?" she asked, panting for breath.

Pecking her lips hard, he nodded.

"Unless…you don't want to..." Will breathed.

Elizabeth bit her lip, he had said that he had initially wanted to take things slowly and over the past six weeks he had stopped things from getting too carried away between them. She knew that she wanted him. Her heart beating so fast in her chest, her ragged breathing, the wetness in her underwear told her as much.

"Will…I want this…I want you…" she whispered, completely sure of herself.

William smiled down at her, kissing her passionately as her arms wound around his shoulders and he used his hands to pull her leggings down further, breaking the kiss to remove them before she sat up and helped him rid himself of his own remaining clothing and then peeled her underwear off until they observed each other naked for the first time.

"Christ…Lizzy…you're so beautiful."

She blinked, smiling warmly.

"You called me Lizzy."

Will placed his lips to hers, kissing her, tasting the confines of her mouth as he crawled over her again and felt his skin meet hers; hot and fiery as his thumb started to rub around the small, hidden bundle of nerves. Elizabeth bucked her hips, wanting, needing more of the pleasure he was giving to her. When he slid two fingers inside her wetness, her cries of surprise were muffled as he continued to kiss her, hot and hard. She continued to move her hips into his hand, higher and higher that, if able to think clearly, she could have sworn that it felt like she was being pulled up a cliff.

Pulling away from her lips, he looked own at her and pushed his fingers further into her, thrusting slowly and deeply as she let out a cry. Her eyes were closed, her hips pushing up against his thumb going faster and faster as he increased the pace of his hands wanting to give her pleasure and release. Watching her and hearing her and feeling just how hot and wet she was, made his cock harder. Will wanted nothing more than to sink himself inside with his cock and feel more of what he was feeling. Her inner muscles were growing tighter, her cries louder, her hips rocking upwards and upwards more and more.

"Lizzy…open your eyes…" Will requested with a needy growl.

Elizabeth opened her eyes, far gone eyes that locked on to his. Pushing his fingers deeper, hitting a certain spot that made her plead 'Little more…please…little more' and as he complied with her request, thrusting into that spot once, twice, she let out a cry of release on the third thrust and her body shuddered from as she climaxed. Pulling his fingers out of her, he kissed her deeply. He heard the drawer open on her bedside table and the sound of her fumbling inside until she pulled away from the kiss and ripped open the small foil wrapper. Sitting up, she wrapped one of her small hands around his cock and Will instantly let out a pleasurable groan as she experimented with slow and torturous strokes. She grinned as she looked up at him to see him close his eyes his fingernails digging into her hips as she picked the pace up of her strokes.

Will thought he had died and gone to heaven, Elizabeth was certainly eager to see him reduced to incoherent mumblings as he had reduced her to only minutes ago. On the next stroke, his eyes snapped open and his hands stopped hers from continuing.

"If you keep on…I won't last…much longer." he breathed.

Elizabeth nodded and grinned as she too the condom out of the packet and rolled it on to his cock carefully. The two laid back on the bed, kissing slowly as Will positioned his cock at her entrance and gently pushed inside her. He moved in and out of her slowly, keeping his eyes locked with hers. One hand tangled with hers above her head while Elizabeth's other hand traced patterns over his chest and his moved along the curve of her hip and over her chest before finally resting in her hair.

Their bodies moved together, him thrusting down into her while her hips arched upwards with each thrust he delivered. Both panting and moaning, sharing sweat and trading deep kisses. Will could already feel himself being dragged towards the edge.

"Are you close?" he managed to whisper.

Biting her lip, Elizabeth nodded.

Taking her confirmation, he sped up the pace of his thrusts. Making her moan and cry out again until she released, with him only seconds behind her. Will collapsed into her waiting arms and for the next few minutes, the only sound that filled the room was their heavy breathing. Eventually, he rolled onto his side pulling her to face him with their bodies still tangled.

"Sorry if that wasn't good for you…it's been a while." Will apologised softly.

Elizabeth hit him playfully on the arm.

"It was perfect and I climaxed twice. You don't need to apologise for anything, I don't regret a thing." Elizabeth assured him.

Kissing her lightly, they continued to lay in her bed with the day's events almost forgotten about.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:** So, thank you to the reviews on chapter twenty-four. I would like to address the rating of M. This has been in place since chapter fourteen because of the content that was in place in chapter thirteen. When I began writing this story I knew that the rating would be an M because of the nature of the storyline with Lydia, Georgiana, the relationship between Will and Lizzy and what I have planned further on. I apologise if any of you are offended by the sex scene in the previous chapter but it's what I wanted for my story and in my opinion, it wasn't as smutty as some other pride and prejudice stories I've read. If it wasn't your cup of tea, fair enough. So, I didn't change the rating after twenty-four chapters, it's been in place as an M rated story for the past ten chapters. If you'd prefer not to read, then don't it's your choice. But thank you for addressing your view.

Apologies for the late posting, I've been really under the weather recently with another bout glandular fever and stress related causes which left me bedridden from exhaustion. But this chapter picks up after the last and the next will be a little jump to Feb half-term.

Enjoy!

 **Chapter Twenty-Five**

Stabbing the finished cigarette into the ashtray, Harriet Wickham headed back inside her small, three-bedroom house and sighed heavily. Her eldest son lazed on her sofa wearing nothing but his boxer shorts with his eyes glued to the TV and his fingers clicking away on Denny's Xbox controller. She rolled her eyes as she pushed her greying brown locks out of her eyes. The house was a mess. George was such a slob; his dirty work uniform was left to stink the whole house up and his washing basket was never emptied because her eldest never lifted a finger to help her keep the house in good form. Not to mention that whenever George helped himself to the food in the fridge, he would leave dirty plates, dirty cutlery and rubbish all over the place instead of putting it in the bin or washing the things he used.

"Just like your father." Harriet criticised loudly.

"What's that ma?" George shouted.

Picking up the TV remote, Harriet switched off the TV which caused her son to shout at her in protest.

"I was in the middle of an online match!"

"You're nearly twenty-eight and yet you're sitting in on a Saturday morning in nothing but your undies acting like a fucking teenager. Dennis does a lot more than you and he _is_ a teenager!"

"Well we all know how much you prefer my little brother over me." George grumbled.

"Like I said, you're just like your father. He never fucking bothered to do anything either." Harriet sneered.

She ducked her head as George threw a glass, hearing it smash as it made contact with the wall behind her. Harriet would never deny that she loved her sons, but it had been hard. Her sons father was nothing more than a sperm donor, even if he had tried to be a father to George in those first few years until he was sent down on an aggravated robbery charge and when Shane had been released, she had been idiotic to believe her ex had changed. But then Dennis had been conceived and yet again Shane disappeared, always getting into trouble with the old bill and the last she heard, Shane had been sentenced to fifteen years for attempted murder when Dennis had just turned ten. It had been hard raising her boys, she'd had help from an old friend Reginald Darcy who ensured both her boys got a good education and when George had left Rosings she was sure that he wouldn't end up like Shane. For a while, she had never been prouder of her firstborn when he'd graduated with a teaching degree and then he'd worked at Rosings after Reginald put in a good word for him. But George was like his father in many ways and one of those shared traits were the ability to have any woman they wanted.

When she had learned that her son had been trying to get hold of the Darcy fortune for himself, she had been so ashamed that George would do that. She had always tried to raise her boys with morals, with the understanding that crime was wrong and that you treated people the way you wanted to be treated. The Darcy family had been nothing but good to hers and that was how George repaid them? By tricking some poor girl into stringing along his lifelong friend all because of money? Well everything had gone downhill for George after that. He'd quit his teaching job and had moved away for a while until he managed to get a minimum wage paid job at one of the local gyms and moved back into her house. Harriet just wished he would show some initiative to have a career again, to settle down with a woman and be happy rather than be bringing home random girls from a night out down Guildhall Walk.

"You'll clear that up before you do anything else." Harriet commanded.

"All you do is belittle me or nag me!" George complained.

"Well someone bloody has to! You've got so much potential George, you could have been made head of the PE department at Rosings or moved on to a higher paid teaching position at a college or university. You could have married someone and had your own family." Harriet said softly.

"And you think I'm going to waste my life away? I have a plan mum, just be patient."

"What plan is this?"

She'd seen that look before. That look of determination in his eyes. It nerved her.

"There's this woman that I can't stop thinking about, I think I might even be in love with her but I got scared. I screwed things up and now she won't give me the time of day. But I'm going to win her back, she's the one I want for myself and we will be happy together. But first I've got to achieve some things." George explained.

"Like what? You chucked your paid education out the window-"

"Quit comparing me to my little brother. We all know how well Dennis is doing at school and we all know that old man Darcy ensured that his two years of Rosings Park sixth form were paid for before he croaked it. We all know that Dennis is going to go on and achieve great things." George snapped.

"I didn't mention your little brother." Harriet replied defensively.

"Yeah but we all know he's your favourite."

"I don't have favourites George."

"Really? Because it's bloody obvious to me."

There was a moment of angry silence between the two before Harriet took a few deep breaths to calm herself before speaking again.

"If there is a girl who you're crazy about, that's great. I just hope you do things correctly instead of scheming and cocking things up." Harriet said softly.

George smiled, his eyes twinkling as he gave his mother a quick hug.

"Don't worry ma, everything will go smoothly." He replied confidently.

As her son exited the room and headed up the stairs, Harriet sat on the sofa full of worry. The way he had assured her with such confidence that his plans for the future would go smoothly made her worry that it would blow up in his face. After all, she had heard the same tone of assurance and confidence every time Shane had tried to put her fears to rest whenever he was trying to hide that he was going to be involved in something dodgy. George was so much like Shane in so many ways, minus the life of crime. Could her son be planning something dodgy? Harriet had never suspected anything at the time five years ago when George had been planning to sabotage Fitzwilliam Darcy. But thinking back on it now, she remembered the secretive planning that George had been up to with a raven-haired woman, a woman she had always assumed had been a serious girlfriend.

Before she had more time to contemplate on what her eldest might be up to, she saw her youngest appear in front of her.

"I've put my dirty clothes in the wash basket and left it in the kitchen. Do you want me to load the machine?" Denny asked.

Harriet smiled and shook her head.

"No love, it's fine. What are your plans for today?" she asked.

"Down the skatepark on the common with Zac, Harrison and David and then out for lunch. I should be back here by three. Can I ask if everything is alright with you and George? I heard something smash." Denny said, concern present in his voice.

"I can handle your brother." Harriet assured him.

"Still doesn't give him the right to treat you like crap mum."

"Let me worry about your older brother. Besides, you have exams soon and I want you to focus on them, not worrying about me."

"You're my mum, I'll always worry about you." Denny pointed out.

Harriet got up from her seat and hugged her youngest, briefly but tightly before giving him a warm smile. Sometimes it baffled her how different her two boys were, Dennis had never once shown any interest in making trouble and she feared that George was heading down a troublesome path.

"You're a good boy Dennis, so thoughtful and caring. Never lose that, do you hear me?" Harriet said proudly.

Denny nodded and headed out into the kitchen with his mother, both unaware that George was sitting at the top of the stairs; seething with anger that he would never be good enough when his little brother was everything his mother ever wanted.

ooOoo

Elizabeth woke up on Saturday morning to find the other side of her double bed empty, the covers messed up and her bedroom door opened by a tiny gap with the hallway light shining through. Rolling on to her back, she smiled to herself as she thought back on the previous night's event. After spending a little time lazed in her bed after their first time together, she had dragged him downstairs and ordered in a pizza and the two had flicked through the TV channels until they settled on some romantic comedy film to watch as they ate their pizza. When the pizza had been eaten and Elizabeth had gotten back from taking Trip on his evening walk to the common and back again, the two had kissed heatedly on the sofa before Elizabeth chased him back upstairs for their second round of sex and the two had fallen asleep together.

She stretched her arms out wide and slipped out of bed, pulling on Will's discarded shirt and buttoned it up before opening her drawers and pulled on a fresh pair of knickers and headed downstairs, bending down to give Trip a brief scratch behind the ears before she walked through the living room, dining room and stood in the kitchen doorway to smell the scrambled egg that was cooking on the hob and the man dressed in jeans from the day before, concentrating on cooking. His curly hair was an unruly mess and he yawned rather deeply but Elizabeth smiled to herself as she admired the sight before her. She loved that she had finally had the chance to spend the night with him and see what he was like when he first woke up in the morning.

Tiptoeing across the cold kitchen floor, she stood behind him and slipped her hands around his waist, squeezing tightly before her hands travelled lower and settled underneath the waistband of his jeans. Will jolted and shivered at the cold touch of her fingers on his skin and turned off the hob as he turned to face her.

"Good morning." Elizabeth grinned.

"Morning. Your fingers are icy by the way." Will pointed out.

"It is February."

"Not quite Spring but not harsh winter."

Elizabeth nodded, leaning up to kiss him before pulling away. Letting go of him, she got out two plates just as the toaster popped out two slices of toast. She buttered the toast as Will served them both up an equal sized portion of scrambled egg each as Elizabeth then reached out two sets of knives and forks and the two headed into the dining room to sit at the table for breakfast.

"I had planned on bringing it up to you in bed." Will admitted.

"You don't need to do that." Elizabeth pointed out.

"I know I don't."

The two ate their breakfast, discussing what plans were for the rest of the weekend. With neither having nothing terribly exciting planned, Elizabeth decided to invite Will to spend the rest of the weekend with her.

"The whole weekend shacked up with you? I can't think of anything better." Will remarked.

"Well you'll have to go home first and get a bag of clothes together and I have to take Trip on his morning walk." Elizabeth replied.

"And then can we spend the rest of the day lazed in bed?" Will asked, almost pleadingly.

His eyes reminded her of the times when Trip would look at her as if silently asking her for more of something. The way his eyes softened with a low warmth and looked a tiny bit sad in case she denied his request which made Elizabeth laugh softly.

"What's so funny?"

"You," Elizabeth replied, "You look like Trip when he wants something."

"Did you just compare me to your aunt and uncle's dog?" William questioned, feigning offence.

"What of it?" Elizabeth grinned.

He glared at her playfully as he picked up their plates and took them out to the kitchen. As he came back into the dining room, she stood up from her seat and bit her lip as he slowly walked towards her. Will's face remained expressionless until he reached her, grabbing at her hips and pulling her towards him.

"So, what time shall we meet back here?" Will asked.

"How about ten-thirty?" Elizabeth suggested.

"And we won't be interrupted?"

Elizabeth shook her head.

"No, Lydi is at yours until tomorrow night and my aunt and uncle aren't home until late evening tomorrow. We'll have to take Trip for an afternoon and evening walk though." She explained.

"And I'm taking you out for dinner tonight." Will affirmed.

"You already made breakfast, let dinner be my treat."

"No, I won't."

"You know it's the twenty-first century, right? Women are perfectly capable of providing and paying for dates." Elizabeth pointed out.

Will rolled his eyes.

"I don't need a lecture on gender equality, Elizabeth." He muttered.

"Just making a point." Elizabeth smiled.

"If I'm going home I need my shirt back." Will said, changing the subject.

His hands moved to feel the edges of the bottom of the shirt she wore. Sharing a moment of understandable silence, Elizabeth playfully tapped him on the arm and backed to the living room door.

"Well if you want it so badly, you'll have to come and get it." She teased.

Running out of the room and up the stairs, Elizabeth squealed as her boyfriend ran after her; grabbing her around the waist halfway up the stairs and hushing her squeals and giggles with a passionate kiss when they reached the top. Kicking her bedroom door to a close, they spent the next hour rather occupied.

ooOoo

Four teenage girls dressed in their pyjamas sat in the Darcy living room munching on bowls of fruit in their laps as they lazily watched the Hollyoaks omnibus. The only sounds came from the TV, the sound of the washing machine on a wash cycle and Alice was busy cleaning in the kitchen; until the sound of the front door slamming added to the noise.

"Will, is that you?" Georgiana called.

"Who else would it be? It's my house." Will shouted back.

"Technically it's half mine." Georgiana said amusingly.

"Alright smart arse," Will said with a grin, "What are you four up to today?"

"Plans haven't been established yet," Kit informed him, "Mary wants to finish her RE coursework so we'll be heading home."

"My only plan is spending the rest of the weekend here." Lydia replied.

"Never mind us. What time do you call this? Dirty stop-out!" Georgiana teased.

Will rolled his eyes.

"Never you mind. Are you going to be alright if I stay over Elizabeth's tonight and tomorrow day time?" he asked his sister.

Georgiana sat up a little straighter.

"Yeah…but it'll cost you."

Will chuckled, admiring his sister's confidence; something which he credited to Lydia who had helped Georgiana a lot over the past few months.

"Name your price but in return you don't tease me." He stated.

"Fifty quid and pizza money for tonight."

"Twenty quid and pizza money for tonight."

"Forty-five quid and pizza money for tonight."

"Thirty quid, pizza money for tonight and a game of bowling for the two of us one night after school next week." Will offered.

"Alright we have a deal." Georgiana said brightly.

Turning around, Will left the room and headed upstairs to have a shower while the girls continued to watch their show.

"I assume the making up went well." Georgiana giggled.

"I think so," Lydia commented, "It looks like our little nudge of encouragement worked."

"Let's hope they won't always need a nudge though, we might have to start charging." Georgiana laughed.

Nodding in agreement, their attention turned back to the TV.

ooOoo

The rest of Saturday was spent playing card games, taking Trip for his walks and going out to dinner with Will that night. They had eaten at a family pub in the Copnor district of Portsmouth for a carvery, it was somewhere that nor Elizabeth or Will had been before and was the recommendation of Alice before Will had joined her back at her aunt and uncle's house. After a large and delicious meal, they returned to the house and watched Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway on BBC one and curled up on the sofa.

"Today has been nice," Will uttered softly as he played with her loose waves, "I wish we could do this all the time."

"Mmmm." Elizabeth hummed in agreement.

"I don't suppose you fancy calling in sick on Monday?" Will joked.

Raising her head from his chest, she gave a light laugh.

"As much as I want to pull a sickie on Monday, I can't really. However, I may call in sick one day during the week, maybe Thursday or Friday, so I can pop in to Citizen's Advice to talk about going to the work tribunal for unfair dismissal." Elizabeth informed him.

"Would you like me to come with you? I am the one who got you into this mess." Will offered.

"We've covered this already. It's your aunt that has the problem and she's landed herself in it by not renewing my work contract. She's completely unprofessional because she can't separate her personal feelings on our private relationship with each other."

"But still…if you want me to come with you, I'll come."

Elizabeth smiled, leaning up to kiss him. His hands wove into her hair to hold her close to him until she pulled away to catch her breath. She could hear her heart beating in her ears, feeling it pound away in her chest, feeling those butterflies in her stomach. Will groaned as she rested her head back on his chest and turned her attention back to the TV.

"What are you doing in half-term? Can we make plans to do more of this?" Will whispered.

She looked up at him with a look of regret.

"Lydia and I are spending the week at Longbourn with Jane and Charles." She replied.

"Oh…that's…I'm sure Jane's missed you a lot."

"Yeah, she's planning on making me a birthday dinner-"

"It's your birthday?" Will interrupted.

"Yeah, the twenty-first of February. Why?"

"I don't think we've discussed birthdays yet. I have no idea what to get you."

"You don't have to get me anything."

"Well if you're going to be away for your birthday, I'm giving you something when you come back." Will informed her.

"If you really must, I don't expect anything," Elizabeth replied, "When's your birthday?"

"Thirty-first of March." Will said.

"So, we've discussed when our birthdays are."

A slight pause occurred before a thought popped into Elizabeth's head. A whole week without seeing Will was an unpleasant thought, she knew that she would miss him too much. He had come to mean so much to her and she saw him nearly every day or every other day; but they were constantly texting or calling when they weren't face to face. Wouldn't it be great if Will and Georgiana could come with them to Longbourn for the week? She wouldn't just invite Will because she couldn't expect him to leave Georgiana alone in Portsmouth with Alice when he would want to spend some quality time with his sister. But if they both came to Longbourn, Lydia would have a friend with her and she would be able to spend some time with Will on her birthday. It was a win all around in her opinion.

"Why don't you and Georgiana come with us?" Elizabeth suggested.

Will frowned.

"Come with you where?" he asked.

"To Longbourn, stupid!"

Raising an eyebrow, Will pulled her up in a sitting position with him.

"You didn't just call me stupid, did you?"

Elizabeth grinned and nodded.

"Not the sharpest tool in the box are you Fitzwilliam?" she teased.

His face turned stern and for a few seconds, she thought that she had hurt his feelings. But before she could apologise, he was tickling her ribs, causing her to squeal with laughter and plead through fast breaths for him to let up. They both fell to the floor, with Will pinning her beneath him as he placed his knees on either side of her hips. One hand held hers above her head whilst the other continued the torturous tickling of her ribcage as she wriggled beneath him; trying to get free.

"Say you're sorry." Will commanded.

"Stop…tickling…me!" Elizabeth squealed, continuing to wriggle.

Letting up his tickling as he noticed she was trying to catch her breath, he looked down at her. Her chest was heaving as she tried to regulate her breathing, but her green eyes were warm with adoration for him; something which made his thoughts stop. She really did care about him. That look was genuine. The way Elizabeth looked at him was different to how Sarah used to look at him when he had been with her.

"Will you come with us?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

"I'd love to, I'm sure Georgie would as well." Will replied happily.

Leaning up to kiss him, Will rolled on to his side and the two spent the rest of the weekend in total bliss.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

 **Monday 17th February**

The weather was a nasty constant cloud of light grey but rain never arrived. Jane stared out of the window, her cup of tea getting colder by the minute as she held it in her hands but forgot to drink from it. She had been thinking a lot since the night before. It was half-term week for her sisters and she had been looking forward to their arrival today, with Charles deciding to come up on the Friday after school to surprise her. But it had been an unexpected visitor last night that had made her anxious about Elizabeth and Lydia's arrival.

 _It was nearly half past ten at night, the TV was playing quietly as Jane and Charles snuggled closer together on the sofa. Charles looked down at her, she looked up at him but just before their lips could meet, there was a sharp knock at the door. Rolling her eyes and smiling amusingly at Charles's frustrated and annoyed groan, Jane moved from the sofa and walked across the living room and opened the front door; surprised to see a tall man, with light brown hair, light blue eyes smiling down at her. He was more tanned than when she had last seen him when he had jetted off to do volunteer work in Africa._

 _"Oscar!" Jane said, surprise present in her voice._

 _"Hello Jane, can I come in?" the man asked._

 _Not wanting to be rude but unsure of how she should be, she stood to one side and let the Doctor in. Oscar looked around, nervously saying a polite 'hello' to Charles who sat on the sofa._

 _"Is Liz here? I'd like to speak to her." Oscar asked._

 _Jane shook her head._

 _"No, she doesn't live here anymore, not permanently anyway." Jane replied._

 _Oscar looked surprised at being informed his ex-girlfriend wasn't living in Thurston anymore._

 _"Why? I thought the three of you would be here-"_

 _"She moved away with Lydia, we all had a pretty rough year last year, especially Lydia and she needed a fresh start. Lizzy went with her so she wasn't on her own." Jane informed him._

 _Oscar nodded, "I'm sorry to hear that." he said._

 _"Thanks."_

 _There was an awkward pause before Oscar decided to continue._

 _"How is she doing? Liz, I didn't know if I should call her or not."_

 _"So, you show up at her home instead?"_

 _Oscar laughed nervously._

 _"You should know me by now that I don't always think, Jane. I just wanted to let her know that I'm back now. For good. And if she'd let me take her to lunch, there's some things that I want to talk to her about." He stated._

 _"I didn't mean to be rude, Oscar. I'm sorry if I was. But I don't think whatever you have to say would make any difference. Lizzy has moved on, she's happy." Jane said, smiling sadly at him._

 _Oscar gave a sharp nod of the head._

 _"I understand. But is she home any time soon?" he asked._

 _"She's home from tomorrow until Saturday." Jane replied._

 _"I'll pop by on Friday with a birthday card. I'll see you around Jane, I'm back at the surgery after all." Oscar said._

 _With Oscar leaving, Jane turned back around to Charles who turned off the TV and the two had a very in-depth conversation._

"Jane? Jane? Hello, earth to Jane." Charles shouted, waving a hand in front of her eyes.

Blinking a few times, Jane looked at her boyfriend apologetically.

"I was miles away, sorry."

"What is bothering you?" Charles asked, switching the button on the kettle to boil it.

Jane turned around to face her boyfriend, her back pressed against the kitchen counter. She placed her cold cup of tea on the side and sighed heavily.

"I keep thinking about how Oscar turned up last night wanting to talk to Lizzy. I should have text her at the very least to warn her that her ex-boyfriend will be showing up on her birthday."

"It was late, she would have been asleep to ensure she was well rested for when they left Portsmouth this morning" Charles reasoned.

"Yeah, I know, but I still feel like I should have told her." Jane argued.

"And you still can when she gets here with Will, Lydia and Georgiana."

The kettle finished boiling as Charles got himself an empty mug from the cupboard and made himself a cup of tea. Jane took a breath, he hadn't yet mentioned what she had told him the previous night about Lydia's rough patch.

"You still haven't spoken to me about what I told you about Lydia." Jane mentioned quietly.

Charles turned around, sighing heavily.

"I think it's a lot for anyone to process. She seems like a completely different girl now, at least the girl I teach IT to. She has a close bond with you and Lizzy, it's just hard to believe she went through all that." Charles replied.

"Does it change anything for you?" Jane asked.

"What do you mean?" Charles questioned, frowning.

"I mean if you don't want to be with me because you can't accept what happened to Lydia-"

"I'm not going to end our relationship because your little sister had a rough year, it's evident that she had a lot to work through. What I will say is that I think it's disgusting that the police have only caught the main instigator of the ordeal Lydia went through and the judge only sentenced him to eight years." Charles assured her quickly.

"I thought it might make you think about who you're getting involved with." Jane muttered.

"Jane, I love you. Nobody is perfect. Come on, you've met my sister and it didn't put you off being with me." Charles said softly.

Jane laughed a little. He had a point. Caroline hadn't put her off being in a relationship with Charles and now it felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She knew that she would have to tell Charles about the year she and her sisters had had following their dad's death eventually but she had been waiting for the right time. And after Oscar's unplanned visit last night, Charles had asked what she had meant by Lydia especially having had a rough year and she knew that she had to tell her boyfriend everything.

"Thank you, for being okay about all of this."

"There's nothing to be okay about, if there is anything you, Lizzy or Lydia need then tell me and I'll help however I can." Charles smiled.

The two shared a brief kiss until they heard a car pulling to a stop outside the guesthouse. Grinning from ear to ear, Jane ran outside and pulled her two sisters into a tight hug.

ooOoo

"Oh, I've missed you two!" Jane squealed.

Elizabeth laughed as she hugged her sisters tightly before Jane released them both.

"A week with my mess and you won't be saying that." Lydia joked.

"Well you'll have to keep it tidy if Georgiana is staying in your room." Elizabeth said.

Beside her Will stood with his sister, both looking nervous at spending an entire week with them all. Elizabeth smiled as Jane welcomed them both warmly and the four women returned to the house as Charles came out and helped Will get the luggage out of the car.

"How was the drive?" Jane asked.

"We made good time, just over four hours and that includes a stop at the services." Lydia replied.

"Not bad at all." Elizabeth agreed.

The two teenage girls took their bags from Charles and Will before Lydia showed Georgiana down the corridor to where the two of them would be sleeping.

"Nice place you've got here." Will complimented as he put the bags down.

"Thanks," Jane replied, "I haven't changed the décor yet."

"Why not?" Elizabeth asked.

"Because I didn't know if you or Lydia would be okay with it if I did." Jane said in reply.

"Jane, we're fine with plans you have for Longbourn. Just give us a heads up if you want our opinions." Elizabeth assured her sister.

"Thanks Lizzy."

The two teenagers came back into the living room, helping themselves to a can of Pepsi from the fridge each.

"It's like you've never been away!" Jane laughed.

Lydia shrugged.

"It's home, isn't it? Me and Georgie are off out for a little bit, I want to show her around the village." Lydia informed them.

Elizabeth looked over at Will who looked slightly uncomfortable at the thought of Georgiana going out alone without an adult to watch over her.

"Is that okay, Will?" Georgiana asked.

Will nodded stiffly.

"Only if you have your phone on and you are back in time for dinner." He instructed.

"It's one in the afternoon, we'll be back before six." Georgiana promised, rolling her eyes.

"Phones on." Elizabeth stated to Lydia.

Both the teenage girls nodded and left the guesthouse, leaving the four adults discussing what was new at Longbourn and in Portsmouth, with Elizabeth telling her sister that she was waiting to hear back from the employment tribunal with a hearing date and that Catherine had been notified she had gone ahead with the case of unfair dismissal. Jane told Elizabeth a few of her early thoughts of turning Longbourn into an inn rather than continue as a B&B.

"I thought you liked it as a B&B?" Elizabeth questioned.

"I do. But a lot of the guests complain that they have to spend more money on dining out for lunch and dinner. If I offered up a lunch and dinner menu between set times of the day and include that as additional in the booking price, we'd make more profit." Jane answered.

"Have you thought this through?" Will asked.

"A little bit, nothing is going ahead yet as I'm still getting together a business plan. I've already worked out that I serve breakfast between seven-thirty and nine-thirty every morning. The lunch time can be between eleven-thirty and two in the afternoon and dinner between five-thirty and nine in the evening. Dad's old friend Roger has recently passed away and gifted the field next door to Longbourn to me so I can expand the building to make the dining room larger, expand the kitchen and add additional bedrooms and bathrooms which can also include more disabled access to bedrooms on the ground floor." Jane replied.

"Roger passed away?" Elizabeth asked, sadness present in her voice.

Jane nodded sadly.

"Just after my birthday, I only had a letter through from his solicitor that the land had been gifted to me a week ago." Her sister replied.

Roger had been the friend of their dads who had found Lydia in the field during her attempt at suicide. If it hadn't been for Roger, she and Jane would have lost their sister.

"You could have told me, I would have wanted to pay my respects at the funeral." Elizabeth complained.

"Sorry, it slipped my mind." Jane apologised.

Checking the clock, Jane sighed.

"Charles and I have to go food shopping, we'll be back soon. Is there anything you need me to pick up at Tesco's?" her sister asked.

Elizabeth shook her head and turned to Will who also shook his head in reply. Picking up her phone, keys and purse, Jane and Charles left the house.

 **As Jane and Charles** got into her car parked next to Elizabeth's, Charles gave her a look.

"What?" Jane asked.

"When are you going to tell her about Oscar turning up?"

"Not today. Let Lizzy settle back in, I'll tell her tomorrow."

ooOoo

 **Tuesday 18th February**

The weather was slightly brighter than the previous day, still cloudy but patches of blue sky could be seen and the odd break of sunshine here and there. It was midday and the three Bennet sisters were on the Longbourn grounds beside the small pond that their grandfather had built when he had started up Longbourn as a B&B. The pond had once been filled with koi carps but after the fire, they had had to sell the fish on because they didn't have the time or the money to maintain the pond and the fish. But now, Jane had tidied up the pond and it was now filled with goldfish swimming about aimlessly in the water.

It had once been a spot that the three sisters created happy memories with their father. Mostly picnics with Thomas in the summer holidays. It was where they were stood on the grass next to the pond that Jane had tried to learn how to do a handstand and broke her wrist when she was twelve. It was where Elizabeth had spent one week in the May when she was thirteen and had come out in chicken pox that she and her father had spent most afternoons laying on a blanket and looking up at the shapes of the clouds. It was where Lydia had learned to run to dad for the first time and tumbled headfirst into a poor example of a forward roll.

But now they stood on the grass, tears streaming down their cheeks as Jane held the black marble urn that contained their father's ashes.

"Do we have to?" Lydia cried.

Elizabeth squeezed her little sister's hand and nodded.

"We have to say goodbye at some point Lydi, we all agreed that we let his ashes go at Longbourn." She said softly.

"But it just feels so…final." Lydia sniffed.

"It's not though," Jane assured them both, "We'll be with him again one day, I believe we will."

"But he's never going to see me graduate school, sixth form, university. He's never going to walk any of us down the aisle at our weddings. He's never going see grandchildren if we decide to have children." Lydia pointed out teary-eyed.

"We know Lydi. It's hard but we have each other and that's what dad would have wanted; for us to stick together no matter what." Jane said with a sad smile.

"Even after everything? Jamie, the suicide attempt, the bullying campaign, moving to Portsmouth for a fresh start, Lizzy having to give up her job…"

"When are you going to get it into your head Lydia…we're in this together." Elizabeth said firmly, pulling her sister closer to her and hugging her tightly.

"I know but I still need to hear it every now and then." Lydia mumbled.

"There is nothing we can't come back from." Jane assured them both.

All three sisters gave a deep sigh, wiping their eyes and sniffing in unison. Jane took off the lid of the urn and all three took their turn to take a handful of their father's ashes and let go into the wind, with Jane emptying the rest of the urn.

"Goodbye Daddy." The girls said together.

Turning around, Elizabeth walked up to where her boyfriend stood and wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered a quiet 'thank you' into his shoulder, feeling grateful that he was there for her if she needed him.

ooOoo

 **Wednesday 19th February**

"So, what are everyone's plans for today?" Jane asked.

The six of them were crammed into the living room with bowls of cornflakes, all of them still dressed in their pyjamas as the clock changed to ten in the morning.

"Well my darling brother is dragging me and Lydia shopping today." Georgiana announced happily.

"Looking after the B&B while you sort out your business plan to expand Longbourn." Elizabeth replied.

"Why doesn't Charlie boy come with us?" Lydia asked, "We'll need an extra body to carry the bags."

"Such a tempting offer, Lydia." Charles laughed amusingly.

"You know, it's going to be so strange when we go back to school on Monday and have to revert back to calling you 'Mr. Bingley' in IT." Lydia mused.

"And you should, I don't want all of my pupils calling me 'Charlie boy' as you've so generously nicknamed me." Charles pointed out.

"But on the bright side Lydi, if you don't choose to take IT at A Level in sixth form, you can carry on calling him 'Charlie boy'." Georgiana added.

Charles smiled amusingly at the two teenagers and quietly finished his cereal. Elizabeth watched as her little sister and her friend chatted about their week so far in Thurston, how Georgiana loved the village scenery and how much fresher the air was in the country than it was in the overcrowded city of Portsmouth. If there was one thing that Elizabeth was sure of, it was that both girls were good for each other in terms of friendship.

"Lizzy, what are you up to?" Jane asked.

"Helping you out I believe, my lovely boyfriend is stealing my car for this shopping trip and I'm not allowed to come." Elizabeth replied.

"Ah I see." Jane smiled, sharing a brief look with William before returning to her cereal.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and was just about to take another spoonful of her cereal when there was a knock at the door. Putting down her bowl on the coffee table, Elizabeth got up from her seat and walked to the front door and opened it; surprised to see a woman standing in the doorway.

"Hello, I'm DS Armstrong, you might remember me as the investigating officer in the case involving your sister Lydia. May I come in please?" the woman asked.

Standing aside, Elizabeth allowed the woman to walk past her before she closed the door. The detective apologised for intruding on their family breakfast.

"Not at all," Jane said, standing up and offering her seat for the detective.

"Thank you," DS Armstrong replied, taking Jane's seat, "It's good that you're here Lydia, I was hoping to catch up with you at some point."

"Is everything okay?" Lydia asked.

The detective looked at her sympathetically.

"I'm here because yesterday I received notification from a lawyer acting on behalf of Jamie Smith, he's applied to have his sentence appealed by the court and there is going to be a hearing about whether he is serving too long a sentence." DS Armstrong said delicately.

Elizabeth knew in the heart stopping moment that followed that she and her sisters were thinking the same thing. That how was it even possible for a sex offender to apply for his sentence to be reduced when he had only been given the minimum term when the judge had sentenced him.

"How…how…is…that even possible?" Lydia questioned, feeling shocked.

"Offenders have the right to appeal under certain circumstances," DS Armstrong explained, "In the case of Jamie Smith, he states that he feels that he was judged unfairly because the jury were mainly made up of women and only a few men."

"That's ridiculous!" Elizabeth protested.

"How can they even consider looking at the case again, I thought it had been closed?" Jane asked.

"It's not all bad news. The people in charge of looking at the case at the appeal hearing can decide to close the case once and for all and increase his sentence if they feel the term isn't long enough." DS Armstrong tried to assure them.

Elizabeth hadn't stopped observing her little sister throughout the news and her heart broke as she saw the pieces that Lydia had been trying to slowly put back together of herself start to shatter again. Her sister's eyes only showed utter devastation at the thought that her rapist, her attacker, her groomer, the person who isolated her and made her think she could only trust him was going to be walking free again soon; free to damage her all over again.

"And what can we do to make sure that the sicko isn't released?" Jane asked, anger present in her voice.

"I'm afraid that there is nothing we can do, it's out of my hands because I don't have any involvement with the appeal decision. My job now is to keep you informed of the process and let you know the outcome and offer any support you might need." DS Armstrong replied.

Lydia nodded glumly, tears rolling down her cheeks as she said nothing. Elizabeth watched as her little sister ran to her bedroom, letting out an involuntary sob as the door closed behind her.

"I'm really sorry that this news is distressing. You have my number if there is anything that you need." DS Armstrong apologised.

When the detective left Elizabeth sighed heavily. She didn't know what to do. It felt like she and Jane were back in that place when they had been called and told that their sister had attempted suicide and then Lydia had told them about her heartbreaking ordeal with that monster. She didn't know how she was going to make this better for her sister and she felt scared that Lydia might hit rock bottom again after spending the last seven months since their move getting better.

But before she could get up to go and comfort her sister, Georgiana had discarded her breakfast and got up from her seat.

"I'll sit with her for a while." Georgiana promised.

ooOoo

 **Thursday 20th February**

"You know this isn't how I wanted to spend my half-term." Lydia admitted.

Georgiana nodded her head sympathetically as the two girls sat in the dining room of the B&B, with Lydia lazily checked the messages that Jane had been sent to the Facebook page for Longbourn. It hadn't exactly been an easy week for the Bennet sisters and Georgiana was trying to be there for her friend after the bad news her friend had received yesterday. She knew that Lydia felt devastated, she knew that she would feel exactly the same if she had been told that Jeremy was appealing his sentence.

"I know it isn't what you were expecting." Georgiana replied softly.

"First I have to say goodbye to my dad by releasing his ashes and then I get told that Jamie is appealing the length of his sentence. Just when I thought that I could put it all behind me." Lydia sighed.

"I get it. I'd feel the same way you do right now if it were Jeremy appealing his sentence."

"I never thought this would happen, I just want it to be over Georgie."

Georgiana wished that there was something she could do to help Lydia take her mind off the appeal hearing and the possibility that her attacker could be serving a shorter sentence.

"I wish I could influence the decision of the appeal hearing but I can't. But it's not the end of the world, Lydia. All they have to do is look at the evidence submitted and see that he kept you prisoner, he controlled you, he raped you and had his friends do the same. He sold you out to other sick minded individuals and really messed with you mentally, physically and emotionally. I get it, Lydia. I'm glad Jeremy got what he deserved but there are nights that I can't sleep properly because the thought of going to sleep brings back the memory of blacking out and then waking up in hospital to be told the boy I liked tried to rape me and drugged me. Going to sleep scares me sometimes." Georgiana admitted quietly.

Lydia nodded sadly.

"Do you ever feel a little out of sorts sometimes at school? Don't get me wrong, I want to be able to have a proper relationship with a boy one day but I know I'm not ready for that yet and it's been nearly a year since I met Jamie and went through all that. Kit talks about these boys that she likes and expects us to participate in discussions about boys but inside I feel like I can't think about that because the next boy I meet and like will do the same as Jamie." Lydia questioned.

"I do," Georgiana agreed, "Going back to school and facing Denny has been hard. It's quite awkward working with him after what happened with Laura and he's been so nice saying he's there for me if I need a friend."

"Denny is a good guy, he's a good friend."

"I know and a part of me wishes that I had seen through Laura earlier and that I hadn't listened to her warped version of events but I feel bad for everything that's happened between us, not sticking up for him when Laura bullied him. But the thought of exploring anything more frightens me with any boy. I guess we both need time to get our heads around what happened to us and put it all behind us."

"Easier said than done, isn't it?" Lydia sighed.

"Yep." Georgiana agreed sadly.

The two girls shared a moment of silence before Georgiana cleared her throat.

"We need to try and get your mind off everything that's happened his week. Isn't your birthday coming up soon?" Georgiana asked.

"Yeah, third of March." Lydia replied.

"What did you want to do to celebrate?"

"Something quiet, not too much fuss. It's a school night as well so I can't celebrate too late, not with exams coming up soon."

"So, we'll do something quiet and not much fuss if that's what you want." Georgiana stated.

"Got any ideas?" Lydia asked.

"Cinema, bowling, dinner out. Who do you want to spend your birthday with?"

"Jane is coming down the weekend after my birthday so I'll do something with family then. I quite like the idea of bowling, I haven't been for a while. Maybe we could do that. You, me, Denny, Kit, Mary."

"If that's what you want then that's what we'll do." Georgiana smiled.

"Thanks Georgie, for being there for me this week." Lydia said quietly.

"You're my friend. One of my best friends. You helped me so much and I will be there for you, whatever you need." Georgiana promised.

ooOoo

 **Friday 21st February**

It was a quite a warm evening for late February, one of the warmest that Elizabeth seemed to remember. Her birthday was usually quite cold or chilly but this year Spring was coming early and the weather was starting to warm up slightly that winter coats weren't always necessary for going outdoors. She had woken up to Will teasing the back of her neck and shoulders with heated kisses until she had rolled over and met his mouth with a heated kiss. Just the memory of waking up with Will and having the best birthday sex she had ever had made her tingle in anticipation for whatever it was he had in mind for her that evening. She had spent the afternoon shopping in Bury St. Edmunds with Jane, Lydia and Georgiana where she had been embarrassed when the barista in the Starbucks came over and presented them with chocolate muffins with a candle stuck into the top of one for her to blow out while her sisters and Georgiana had sung 'Happy Birthday' to her in the middle of the lunchtime rush. When they had returned to the house for dinner, she found that Charles had ordered them in a curry to eat while they watched the DVD that Georgiana had gifted to her for her birthday. After dinner, she had a brief chat on the phone to Ed and Maddie to thank them for the paintballing tickets they had gifted to her along with a gift voucher for one of the clothes stores in Commercial Road.

But then Will had ordered she go and help Jane out in the B&B while he and Charles sorted out his birthday surprise for her. He had told her that morning that he hadn't been sure of what to get for her as a present so instead he had planned an evening for them to remember; thinking it would mean more to her than something that might get lost, broken or stolen. So, she was stood in the kitchen of the main house with Jane drinking a lukewarm cup of tea her sister had made for her ten minutes ago.

"Sorry it's been a shit week for you." Jane apologised.

"It isn't your fault. It's been tough on all of us, especially Lydi." Elizabeth dismissed.

"I know. Releasing dad's ashes and saying a proper goodbye, then finding out about that predator appealing his sentence. It's not been an ideal week." Jane muttered.

"We knew that it would be a rough start when we all agreed to say a proper goodbye to dad but I wasn't expecting DS Armstrong to come again." Elizabeth said.

Before their conversation could continue, Mrs. Hill had come through with a visitor. Jane turned around as Elizabeth froze. When Mrs. Hill left the room, Elizabeth met the warm smile on her ex-boyfriend's face.

"Hey Liz." Oscar greeted her, as if no time had passed between them.

Elizabeth felt stunned. This week was full of unwanted and unexpected surprises. She had believed that she would never see Oscar again when he chose to go ahead with his plans for Africa when her dad had died. She had never pressured him to stay with her but he had made it clear that he wouldn't stay with her to help her through her grief. He had pressured her to come with him as they had planned but when it came to making a choice, Elizabeth had chosen her sisters; something she didn't regret. Oscar had left bitterly and had said some things that she couldn't forget.

"What…what are you…doing here?" Elizabeth stammered.

Oscar handed her a pink envelope which she guessed contained a birthday card.

"It's your birthday…I told Jane I would stop by." Oscar informed her.

Elizabeth scoffed in disbelief and turned to her sister.

"And you failed to bring this up?" she questioned her sister.

Jane looked at her apologetically and full of guilt.

"Lizzy, it's been a mad week. He came here on Sunday night and I wanted to tell you but I thought I'd wait for you to settle in from the drive from Portsmouth. And then we had to scatter dad's ashes and then what happened on Wednesday…" Jane rambled on in explanation.

"I get it. You forgot." Elizabeth sighed.

"I'm sorry Lizzy." Jane apologised.

"Can we have a minute?" Oscar asked.

Taking herself out of the kitchen, Elizabeth folded her arms across her chest as she felt anger and annoyance rising inside of her.

"I didn't know you were coming back." Elizabeth said.

"I got back two weeks ago, something came up." Oscar replied nervously.

"Something came up? More important than your dreams?" Elizabeth asked coldly.

Oscar sighed heavily and nodded his head stiffly.

"I deserve that. I didn't exactly leave on the best of terms with you…"

"You mean you broke up with me a week after my dad died in hospital and demanded I come with you as originally planned. When I told you that I had to stay at Longbourn with the two most important people left to me, you said you weren't going to stay behind for me and long distance was too hard to maintain when you wanted nothing more than to fulfill the charity work you desperately dreamed of doing?"

Oscar shifted on his feet uncomfortably.

"I realise I said some things that I shouldn't have said. I'm sorry for that and I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you when you needed me to help you get through a difficult period." Oscar apologised.

"A 'difficult period' is what I'd define as losing your job and finding it hard to get another one. I lost my dad and then I had to parent a fourteen-year-old who felt so guilty and blamed herself for our dad dying that she went on a destructive path where I nearly lost her too." Elizabeth pointed out.

"I didn't know about Lydia." Oscar muttered.

"No, because you weren't here. She met someone very dangerous on her fifteenth birthday who messed her up and she's only just starting to come to terms with everything that's happened to her. Jane and Lydia are all I have left and you couldn't see why I needed to stay. They helped me through that, are still helping me through that." Elizabeth said, her voice full of blame.

"I'm sorry, Liz-"

"Look, it's my birthday and I want to get back to celebrating that. So, what do you want?"

Oscar cleared his throat.

"I wanted to tell you that I'm back for good. I'm working back at the surgery and I was wondering if you wanted to get together at some point? There's a lot that we need to talk about." Oscar stated.

Elizabeth sighed and shook her head. Oscar walked closer to her, taking hold of her hand.

"I miss you, Liz. Please. Just meet me for lunch sometime. I want to make up for what I did when I left you." Oscar said quietly.

Meeting his stare, she shook her head.

"Look, I know it's wrong of me to just turn up but I miss you. I love you, Liz." Oscar pleaded.

Elizabeth took a breath and shook her head again. Seeing her ex-boyfriend had brought out negative feelings which she didn't want to feel at this time when all she wanted was for Will to come and get her and show her what he had planned for them both for the rest of the evening. She held Oscar's warm gaze and shook her head a third time. She didn't love him anymore. Her feelings had faded for him because she had more important things to focus on than pining for a man who had decided not to stick around and help her grieve and get through her loss. Will had been. He had helped her get through her feelings over her mother's sudden reappearance, he had been there for her when she had scattered her dad's ashes, had held her tightly as she sobbed into his chest. Will had been there when she needed to rant and scream and then cry again when they had been told that Jamie Smith was appealing his prison sentence. There was only one man in her life now, a man who meant more to her than anyone else in that way. Someone who she knew would be there no matter what, like Oscar hadn't been.

"I'm in love with somebody else." Elizabeth said.

Oscar's face fell as he stepped back from her and released her hand. She didn't feel any pangs of guilt when she saw the look of devastation on his face. Before either of them could talk again, the kitchen door opened and in stepped an expressionless Will with Charles and Jane behind him.

"I think you need to leave my girlfriend alone." Will said threateningly.

Oscar nodded stiffly, turning back to face Elizabeth.

"I'll see you around Liz."

"Thanks for the card, Oscar. But we're in the past now."

Oscar said nothing further and walked away from the group, slamming the door behind him as he left. Elizabeth looked at Will, biting her lip nervously. She wasn't sure what her boyfriend was thinking or feeling at the moment, he wasn't giving away how he felt about Oscar turning up or if he had heard her tell Oscar that she was in love with him. It had been the first time she had admitted it out loud to someone, had admitted it to herself that she was in love with Will and realised how quickly she had over the last eight weeks of their relationship.

Seeing the warm expression return to his eyes, he smiled at her and cupped her face as he leaned in and captured her lips. Closing her eyes, she moaned softly as one of his hands moved to wrap around her waist as hers wrapped around his neck, their lips moving together slowly and sensually. It was a kiss that expressed how much she meant to him and when he finally pulled away from her, she felt lightheaded.

"Alright, get a room you two!" Charles called out.

Will grinned at her, not turning around to face his best friend.

"Are you ready?" Will whispered.

Nodding her head, she let Will lead the way out of the main house and across the lawn to where she felt her heart melt at the gesture that appeared before her. In front of the pond several candles were flickering in the dark. A large yellow tent had been put up just a few feet from the pond and as Will led her to the tent's opening, she saw the tent was covered in a large duvet, pillows and blankets. Outside the tent, a tartan blanket lay on the ground with a bottle of wine contained in an ice bucket.

"Will…." Elizabeth breathed happily.

"It's a clear night. Quiet. I thought some time alone, looking up at the stars would be ideal. I didn't know what I should get you but after the week you've had, I thought some quiet time might be a good gift." Will said nervously.

Elizabeth turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck once more. Their foreheads touched as she sighed happily.

"I love it. But the candles…"

"Are remote controlled. I didn't want to get tealights because I didn't want any of you to panic if they got knocked over." Will reassured her.

Elizabeth smiled at him.

"You are so…" she trailed off.

Looking deeply into his eyes, she couldn't think of the right word to describe how much his gesture meant to her. The fact that he wanted her to have some quiet time to forget about the week's events was one thing. Buying remote controlled candles instead of real ones because he didn't want them to be scared of their home going up in smoke again was something more.

She pressed her lips to his and started to kiss him in a way she hoped expressed how she felt about him. He responded enthusiastically, circling his arms around her waist and lowered them both on to the blanket. Elizabeth let out a cry of pleasure when he moved from her lips and down her neck.

ooOoo

Will loved having her in his arms, kissing him so sensually, so lovingly that it made him want to tell her something he really wanted her to know.

But he wasn't ready.

He had once fallen for a woman who he had wanted to spend the rest of his life with and when he had found out Sarah was stringing him along with a man who he had called a friend it had broken him. And for five years, as he got over the love he had for Sarah, he didn't think he would be in that position again until he met Elizabeth Bennet. In eight weeks, he had fallen hard for her, harder than he had for Sarah and that scared him.

 _I'm in love with somebody else._

He'd heard her confess her feelings to her ex and his heart rate had quickened. She loved him. In his heart he had wanted to burst into the kitchen and kiss her hard but his head had stopped him. Rushing in had only gotten his heart broken in the past and he needed to take this slowly with Elizabeth if he was going to get it right. Will knew he was in love with her too, but he wasn't ready to voice it out loud to his girlfriend yet.

Pulling away from her lips, he opened his eyes and looked down at her. Will smiled as he saw the candlelight reflecting in her green eyes, lighting them up as she smiled back up at him. He ran his fingers through her soft brown waves, cupping the left side of her face.

"Happy Birthday, Lizzy." Will whispered.

"Thank you. This is definitely the best way to spend it." Elizabeth replied softly.

"Feeling better?" Will asked.

Elizabeth nodded.

"This is just what I needed. Some quiet time on a beautiful night with someone who means the world to me." she sighed happily.

Continuing to smile down at her, he rolled onto his back and pulled her to his side. Elizabeth snuggled into him as close as she could and both looked up at the night sky.

* * *

 **A/N:** Apologies for the late update, It's been a busy couple of weeks but I'm hoping to update again in two weeks now it's slowed down a bit for me.

So thoughts? Both acknowledged how they feel but haven't told the other yet. Don't worry, Will is going to get a nudge of encouragement and Elizabeth will tell him soon as well. I know this chapter was a bit of a down week for the Bennets but it's all for what I have in mind in the future.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N:** Thanks to all those who read/reviewed chapter 26, to those who have private messaged me I will reply in due course, it's just a busy time at the moment. In reply to the guest reviewer, I like that you love my story and I try to update when I can but I have a busy life at the moment, my kids are off on summer holidays for another three weeks and I have a partner that works so I don't have a lot of 'me' time right now. I'm hoping to update again before the month is out but my little family are off on holiday next week so I'll have no access to a computer or internet connection. 

As always, enjoy :)

 **Chapter Twenty-Seven**

William sighed heavily as he pulled the lid down on his laptop and started to put away various pieces of paper into two separate folders. He placed his head in his hands and rubbed his forehead as if that would relief some of the tension he felt. He was finding life a little repetitive lately. With work, he had found a balance of going to London on Monday nights to Thursday lunchtime to handle TPA business with Richard and the company were taking on new recruits, looking to expand into business and admin apprenticeships to teenagers going into further educational settings after they had finished their secondary education and he had had various meetings about the current companies that his father had invested in and in all honesty, he was starting to find it boring. Will was starting to feel that TPA should be doing more for communities, for helping people and he was thinking of ways that he could do that aside from helping charities abroad.

Last night he and Georgiana had gone over something that she had been thinking about. His sister had asked him what role he expected her to play when the time came for her to take on her shares in TPA.

 _"Will, I'm not sure if I'm suited to the business world." Georgiana admitted._

 _"Georgie, you have five years of education left if that's what you choose. If you find out that you really don't want to take up TPA then I'll buy you out. If you decide that you do want to have an active role in TPA then we'll discuss it when you finish university." Will assured her._

 _"But I'm not sure what I even want to go to university, it was just always assumed that I would. I don't even know what I want to pursue. I love that I want to continue piano but it's not like I can pursue a music career and I'm not sure I want that career path either. I quite like studying Media Studies at the moment but I don't know where it might lead me in the future." Georgiana said, clearly unsure._

 _"Just focus on your A Levels for now and then when it comes to your second year of those we can look at career paths. Enjoy being young because before you know it, you'll be an old fart going over profit reports and investment proposals." Will laughed._

 _"But would I disappoint you if I didn't want any involvement with TPA?" Georgiana asked nervously._

 _"No Georgie. I want you to live your life the way you want, enjoy it the way you want. Of course, until you turn eighteen there will be rules but if you don't want to take up a role at TPA then it's fine. But you've got years before you have to decide. Whatever you do, as long as you tried, I'll be proud of you." Will replied softly._

The conversation with Georgiana was making him question what he wanted to do with his own life. It was fine for Georgie, she was still a kid and didn't understand the responsibility of running the family business but he had sort of had the responsibility thrown on him ever since he got back from travelling after his sham marriage had taken place. Will didn't know what he was going to decide, but he did know that the idea of rebranding TPA to help more of those less fortunate than him was appealing.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he saw Alice tapping her fingers on the wooden table, a look of concern on her face.

"You've had that look since you got back from Thurston. Is there anything you want to talk about?" Alice asked, dropping the wash basket on the floor by the washing machine.

Will sighed.

"Just got a lot of things on my mind. Business being one of them." Will replied.

"What about the business?"

"Alice, you know that I've got more money than sense and yet I walk through Commercial Road when I'm in the city centre and all I saw were the number of homeless people sat in sleeping bags in empty shop doorways. Most of them didn't even ask me for spare change, they just looked lost. The council aren't able to help them due to the housing crisis and me giving them the few loose coins in my pocket won't help those people for the long term, would it?"

Alice smiled at him as she loaded the dirty clothes into the washing machine.

"So, am I right in thinking that you want TPA to be known for helping the less fortunate in the UK as well as abroad?" Alice questioned.

Will nodded.

"I want TPA to stand for something more than the profits we make. I'm not saying that I would get rid of investment brand that we are but I want it to be known that we give back to those who need help." He answered.

"That's admirable, Fitzwilliam. It is definitely something you could look at. Might I also suggest that you look at the actual people who work for you?" Alice suggested.

"What do you mean?" Will asked.

Alice finished loading the washing machine and closed the door before adding the washing powder into the little drawer at the top. She pressed the setting she wanted and stood up to face him properly.

"You have the London office, the Bury St. Edmunds office, the little Portsmouth office and other locations throughout the country. Your father paid his employees well but the ones at the bottom of the pyramid are mostly minimum wage unless they live in London and the only reason the London employees are paid more than the rest is because the living costs in London are higher. But there might be those employees that are finding it difficult each month due to unforeseen circumstances beyond their control. Why not offer monthly bonuses to those who work on minimum wage if they aren't late to work each day? Something like that. A little incentive makes them want to work harder. Or you could set up an emergency fund if they can't afford to wait until the end of the month to get paid, just an idea." Alice replied.

"Like a grant system?"

"It might not be a good idea, it was only a suggestion. But there are ways to help your lower paid employees."

"I'll set up a meeting with Richard next week to discuss some ideas." Will said brightly.

"And what else is there?" Alice asked.

Will blinked. If there was one thing he knew about Alice, it was that she was an observer. His housekeeper had known him since birth and when his mother had died or his father had been working, she had looked after him and Georgie. So, if there were things on his mind, Alice would know instantly something was wrong.

"Well aside from the business ideas, Georgie asked me if I would be disappointed if she didn't want to have a role in TPA when the time came and I told her no. I don't mind if she doesn't want that for her life, if she wanted to do something else instead. But I never really had that option." Will said honestly.

"Fitzwilliam, your father offered you a position in TPA because he knew you were good at it. He knew that you could handle the pressures of being the acting CEO as well as the owner one day." Alice assured him.

"I thought he offered me a position there because I had just gotten back from travelling with Charles and Richard and he was concerned that I needed something to focus on." Will laughed.

"That as well. He thought a busy job in TPA would keep you occupied and help you forget about that woman." Alice said honestly.

"I sometimes think how far would Sarah have taken her scheme if she hadn't confessed to me after the certificate was signed." Will sighed.

"Well don't dwell on it. At least she had the decency to confess, even if she had played you from the start. It isn't your fault. Just be glad you got out when you did before any permanent damage could be done and money stolen."

There was an uncomfortable pause. Will was starting to think on what Alice had just said about permanent damage. He had already acknowledged to himself that he was in love with Elizabeth, how could he not be? She was decent, caring, trustworthy, honest and had a fierce loyalty to the people she loved. But he hadn't told her how he felt about her now because of his past mistakes in trusting Sarah. Had his experience with Sarah permanently scarred him from confessing and being in love with someone else?

"What is it?" Alice asked, the tone of concern present.

Will sighed again.

"It's my relationship with Elizabeth." Will replied.

"Have you two fallen out?"

"No! Anything but. The past nine and a half weeks have been amazing."

"Then, what is it?"

"When we were away and I was planning her birthday surprise, her ex-boyfriend showed up and asked her to take him back basically. He told her he still loved her and he missed her but she turned him down. Elizabeth told him that she was in love with someone else." Will said quietly.

Alice smiled brightly.

"That's good, isn't it?" she asked.

"I guess," Will sighed, "I'm in love with her, but…"

"But what?" Alice smiled.

"I didn't tell her that I overheard what she'd said to her ex. I didn't tell her how I felt about her."

Alice shook her head lightly and sighed.

"You held back from your feelings." She pointed out.

"I wanted to tell her, in my heart I wanted to tell her. But my head…it just…stopped me I guess." Will groaned.

"It's understandable." Alice assured him softly.

"I never thought I'd have another relationship this serious, Alice. I mean I'm not a monk but I'm not the type to sleep around either. I thought one day I could take things slowly with someone and see where it went but then I met Lizzy." Will said.

"Fitzwilliam, you need to relax. It's been nine weeks, not nine years. Nothing serious is happening yet." Alice pointed out.

"The fact that I've fallen in love with her in such a short time is serious enough! It's just got me thinking about where the relationship is going to go. Moving in together, getting engaged, getting married, having a child. It's all too much to think about!"

Alice raised an eyebrow and told him to take a breath, which he did. He knew he was panicking over things that wouldn't be discussed for a very long time.

"I think you need to push those thoughts to the back of your mind and enjoy the time you have with Elizabeth. Nine weeks, Will. It's only been nine weeks." Alice said softly.

He took another deep breath and exhaled before nodding his head.

"You're right. But eventually we will need to talk about it." Will stated.

"In the future when you're both ready to take those steps together." Alice agreed.

"But I don't want to get married again, Alice. That's part of the problem." Will sighed.

Alice nodded sympathetically.

"It's understandable after what you went through with Sarah. But, Elizabeth isn't Sarah. She is not out to get your family's fortune and she's not sleeping with your friend behind your back. You already know what she has been through, she's been open about her family and their struggles hasn't she?"

"Yeah she has." Will confirmed quietly.

"You never know, if you have something long-term with Elizabeth you may change your mind about marriage." Alice said positively.

"Maybe. I know that I want her in my life for the long haul." Will muttered.

"Then why not talk to her about this? Tell her how you feel." Alice encouraged.

"Maybe."

"Fitzwilliam, she's a great woman. Genuine. Don't let her slip through your fingers."

With nothing else to add, Alice picked up the wash basket and left the kitchen. Will sighed, knowing that Alice was right in her advice. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and pressed the call button beside Elizabeth's name in his contact list.

ooOoo

Sitting in her office, Elizabeth sat at her desk eating her sandwich she had bought in the cafeteria. The day was starting to be a little better. This morning she had been called into a last-minute meeting with Catherine and Charlotte acting as a witness to the meeting. Catherine had informed her that due to the upcoming tribunal case and the negative exposure that Rosings Park School might get in the local press, Catherine had drawn up a new contract of employment for Elizabeth starting in September. At first, she had thought it to be a bad joke but when Catherine shot her a look of vile displeasure, she knew that her boss wouldn't ever pull a joke with her. Promising to look over the contract, she had spent the rest of the morning carrying out her medical duties as well as getting a few quiet minutes to start looking through the contract until Will had called her requesting that they eat lunch together.

Hearing the door to the medical room open and close, she smiled brightly as her boyfriend closed her office door behind him and proceeded to lock the door.

"Hey." Elizabeth greeted warmly.

"Hey, had a good morning?" Will asked.

He rested against the edge of her desk and looked down at her as she sat in her swivel chair.

"Well it's not been that bad. Surprising. Catherine called me into her office this morning and offered me a contract of employment from September." Elizabeth replied.

Will's eyes widened which made her laugh a little.

"Let me guess, she didn't want anything negative in the local press?" he questioned.

"You know your aunt so well." Elizabeth laughed.

Will smiled, leaning down to cup her face with one of his hands.

"I'm glad you'll be sticking around." He whispered.

"I haven't made my mind up about signing the contract yet but I'm definitely sticking around." She smiled.

Moving his head down to hers, their lips met. Will still cupped her face as he deepened the kiss whilst Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck and stood up from her chair and pulled him closer to her. He turned her around, walking her backwards until she felt her back press against the office door. Placing his hands on her thighs, he lifted her up and wrapped her legs around his waist as the kiss grew more heated between them. Elizabeth moved her hands from around his neck and started to unbutton his shirt; until he released her lips and started kissing at her neck.

"How...much time….do…we…have?" he murmured between heated kisses on her neck.

Elizabeth cried in pleasure when he nibbled on her earlobe, making her close her eyes briefly before she looked up at the clock blurrily.

"Fifteen…minutes…" she breathed back.

"Not…enough…time…" Will groaned.

"Will…"

He captured her lips with his own, kissing her heatedly as he pressed her further back against the door and their hips meeting and thrusting gently together. There was no denying that they were both heavily aroused as Elizabeth opened up the rest of his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders and Will moved his hands underneath her tunic to trace patterns on her skin. His lips moved from her mouth and down her neck again, sucking lightly on the pulse point before grazing his teeth over the area gently. Letting out a groan, her hands travelled south and found the belt buckle on his dark denim jeans.

"Lizzy…" Will breathed hotly in her ear.

"Yeah?" Elizabeth whispered back, her voice raspy.

Will pulled away from her and kissed her lightly before studying the situation they were in. He laughed a little when he put her back on the floor but continued to hold her close.

"As much as I want to…I can't." Will said, his voice full of regret.

Elizabeth frowned.

"Why not?"

"Because you're debating signing a new contract to work here and I don't want to risk you having it withdrawn if we get…physical…in your office."

Elizabeth smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Fine," she pouted, "But how am I supposed to get through the rest of the day without thinking about you?"

Will laughed, tucking a loose wave behind her ear.

"I'm sure you'll manage." He replied.

"You don't play fair." Elizabeth accused.

Will shrugged and gave her a small grin, releasing his hands from her waist as he buttoned up his shirt. Elizabeth took the moment to step back to her desk and readjust her clothing to it didn't look like she had been caught up in a heated moment with her boyfriend. Sitting back on her swivel chair, she smiled as he finished buttoning up his shirt and straightened his jeans.

"I was wondering if you wanted to come over tonight?" Will asked.

"I'd like that. What did you have in mind?" Elizabeth smiled.

He walked towards her, looking down at her and leaned over her so that his face was merely centimetres from hers.

"Alice is out this afternoon and having dinner with friends so we'll have the place to ourselves." Will whispered teasingly.

Elizabeth moved her hands to his collar and pulled him closer to her, their lips so close but not yet touching.

"And you want to end the torture you're putting me through?" She asked warmly.

Will chuckled.

"As long as you keep on a certain navy tunic you're currently wearing."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes but her giggle was silenced when he captured her lips with his own, his tongue pushing past her lips and into the confines of her mouth. She moaned as he cupped her face and then pulled away.

"I'm sure we can come to a mutually satisfying agreement." Elizabeth teased.

"But seriously, there is something I want to talk to you about later." Will said.

Elizabeth frowned as he pulled back from her, she was starting to feel a little worried.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah it's just-"

The bell rang to indicate that lunch was over. She could hear the sound of chatter and footsteps begin to fill the corridors outside her office again as she sighed in frustration that she wouldn't be able to spend a little more time with her boyfriend until later.

"What time are you able to come over?" Will asked.

"I finished at quarter past three and I think Lydia and Georgie are going back to ours to change and then go bowling and out for dinner. I promised to pick them up at nine-thirty tonight." Elizabeth replied.

Will nodded.

"Okay, I'll meet you here when you finish."

Giving her one last kiss, Will unlocked her office door and left the school; leaving Elizabeth to take a deep breath to try and refocus her mind on the rest of the work day.

ooOoo

"Happy Birthday Lydia!" Kit said excitedly.

It was four o'clock and after having quickly changed into some comfortable, causal everyday clothes, she and Georgiana had left her aunt and uncles and headed straight for the Bowlplex in Gunwharf Quays. She wasn't really bothered about making too much fuss on her sixteenth birthday and she didn't really see why some were going to too much trouble. Sixteen was hardly anything big. Kit was planning a party for hers and Mary's birthday in May while Mary wanted to spend their birthday looking around some history museums in London. But she was glad that she had decided on bowling and then dinner out with just her and four of her friends. The previous year she had spent her birthday getting paralytically drunk with people she had assumed were her closest friends but now she knew better. She knew that she didn't need the entire school year to come to a birthday party to celebrate her turning a year older when she had four true friends who made her laugh, listened to her rants on a bad day and were there for her no matter what. They wanted her to be happy.

"Thanks Kit." Lydia smiled, hugging her friend tightly.

"Is it just us four?" Kit asked, "Denny's the only boy."

Mary rolled her eyes as they joined the queue for the reception desk to check what lane they would be using. Lydia had the piece of paper containing the booking confirmation as she smiled apologetically that Kit wouldn't have any other boys to flirt with.

"Sorry Kit, you'll have to make do." Lydia whispered.

Kit snorted in amusement.

"Please. I wouldn't do that when I know that Denny likes Georgie." Kit replied quietly.

The five got to the front of the queue and exchanged their shoes for bowling ones and handed over the booking confirmation details. A few seconds later the man working on the reception desk had taken their shoes to store and pressed a button to indicate that lane ten was theirs to play on. The group went over to their lane, putting their bags down as Denny went to the console and put their names in.

"You okay?" Lydia asked Georgiana.

Her friend nodded and smiled.

"Just relieved, Will wasn't exactly keen for me to spend an evening without supervision." Georgiana replied.

"I get it, I do. When we first moved to Portsmouth Lizzy was worried when I started spending some time by myself but she gave me the space I needed and made sure I knew that she was there. I guess it just takes time. But I'm glad that you're here."

Georgiana smiled, nodding her head in agreement. When Denny had finished typing their names into the console, Lydia picked up a bowling ball from the shelves behind their seats and went first, throwing the ball as hard as she could down the lane, watching it spin and roll until it made that familiar sound as it came into contact with the bowling pins, knocking eight over in the process. She waited for the other pins to reset and picked up another ball before returning to throw it down the lane, this time only managing to knock one of the remaining pins.

"Don't worry Lydi, you'll do better next time." Denny teased, picking up his own ball to take his turn.

"I will do if I'm going to beat you." Lydia challenged with a grin.

"I'll win the round, you'll see." Denny grinned.

"Very confident aren't you Denny?" Georgiana asked innocently, standing up and walking over to the lane with him.

Denny grinned, "I like to think so." He replied.

Lydia watched amused as Denny went to throw the ball down the lane, only to be poked in the ribs by Georgiana. He fell to the left, the ball being thrown clumsily on the lane and falling off to the side. Kit and Lydia laughed loudly as Denny turned to face Georgiana, an eyebrow raised.

"That was uncalled for." Denny said amusingly.

"Just having some fun." Georgiana replied innocently.

Lydia smiled as she watched her two friends banter playfully as Georgiana sat back down with Kit and continued to chat with Denny as he picked up his second ball to finish off his first turn. She knew that Georgiana still felt awkward around Denny, her friend had admitted that during their conversation in half-term, but seeing Georgie interact with Denny without hesitation and was smiling and laughing with him told her that she was slowly overcoming her hesitations on how to be around him. It was too soon for Georgiana to think of Denny in any other way than a friend but she knew that soon the two of them would be able to put their misunderstanding over what had happened with Laura two years ago behind them and maybe, in the future when both were ready, they both could give romance a second chance.

ooOoo

Enjoying the nice sunshine that tended to be a rarity for UK whether in March, Elizabeth and Will walked hand in hand along the grassy common. They could hear the hovercraft departing Southsea for Ryde on the Isle of Wight, causing the stones on the beach to fly off in various directions before the sound of it meeting the water to begin the ten-minute journey over to the island could be heard. Seagulls were scavenging the locals for the remainder of the fish and chips they had bought at one of the little kiosks on Clarence Pier before crying out as they flew into the clear blue sky above them.

If only the temperature was a little warmer, it would be the perfect day, Elizabeth mused to herself. She looked up at Will, his attention elsewhere as he seemed out of place. She nudged his side with her hip and knocked him out of his trail of thought.

"Something wrong?" Elizabeth asked.

"Just thinking." Will muttered.

She frowned up at him as they came to a stop in front of the war memorial. No-one else was around apart from a few people walking their dogs off lead.

"About what?"

"A mixture of things. I've got a lot of ideas where TPA is concerned and what I want for its future. I'm worried how Georgie is on her first trip out alone without adult supervision since her attack and suicide attempt and I've been thinking a lot about us."

But the way he had said he had been thinking about their relationship made her feel confused and scared. It was the tone of his voice that made her think he was having doubts about their relationship and the fear that she hoped she was wrong that he would be having doubts. The last nine, nearly ten, weeks had been amazing for her, with only the one misunderstanding which they had overcome quite well.

"What about the company?" Elizabeth asked.

"You don't want to hear about the company." Will dismissed.

She released his hand, folding her arms across her chest.

"No. I _do_ want to hear about it, Will. It's your life, your family's legacy. And I know how much it means to you to be a part of something your family has built up successfully." Elizabeth retorted.

Will sighed.

"Can you drop it?" he asked grumpily.

"No! I can't 'drop it'," she yelled, "Why are you in such a shit mood?"

"I've been thinking a lot about our last evening at Longbourn when we were there for half-term." Will admitted stiffly.

Elizabeth continued to frown at him in confusion, "Why?" she asked, completely clueless.

Will huffed out a breath, looking a little frustrated.

"This isn't how I wanted to discuss this." He muttered.

"Discuss what?" Elizabeth pleaded, her annoyance rising as her confusion did.

"I heard what you said to your ex-boyfriend." Will yelled back.

Elizabeth froze, her green eyes wide. She recalled the time alone she had spent with Oscar in the kitchen at Longbourn and how Will had burst in just after she had told her ex-boyfriend that she was in love with Will.

"What did you hear?" Elizabeth questioned carefully.

"I heard you tell him how you felt about me." Will answered.

"You heard…"

" _I'm in love with somebody else."_ Will quoted.

Elizabeth breathed deeply before meeting his expressionless gaze.

"I am. I love you, Will." she whispered.

But he didn't say it back, he simply nodded and looked scared that she had finally said it to him.

"Is that such a bad thing?" Elizabeth asked quietly, her eyes searching his for some reassurance.

"Lizzy, you have to understand...I feel the same about you. You're never far from my thoughts when we're apart and when I'm with you I've never felt happier…" Will stammered.

"But you won't say three little words to me?" Elizabeth asked, a stray tear falling down her cheek.

He grabbed her by the upper arms, pulling her to him. His expression changed to concern as one of his hands wiped the tear away but she could also see a conflict of emotions behind his eyes that told her he had been battling something out inside his mind.

"Lizzy, I don't take those 'three little words' lightly. They mean so much and so little to others. I once fell for a woman so hard that I was committed to spending my life with her only to find out she had been betraying me from the start. It broke me. I didn't want to get involved with anyone romantically again until I met you. You walked into my life and have made things brighter for me in so many ways. I can't imagine my life without you in it." Will explained passionately.

"I get it. You're scared." Elizabeth summed up.

"I wish I wasn't."

"I'm not your ex-wife, Will. I'm not going to fleece you for all you've got and do a runner."

"I know you're not," Will tried to assure her, "Just give me time, Lizzy. Be with me. Help me."

"What am I supposed to do Will? Ignore my feelings?"

He shook his head.

"Just give me time to get my head straight and my fears conquered. I can only do that with you by my side being patient."

Elizabeth didn't know what she was supposed to say or what she was supposed to feel about the situation. He said he felt the same way she did but yet he couldn't bring himself to say the words because he was scared she was going to hurt him the way that Sarah had hurt him all those years ago. She didn't know if things would be awkward between them or if they were going to carry on as normal from now on. But what she did know was that she didn't want to end things with him. Nodding her head, she stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck as she pressed her lips to his.

ooOoo

As the evening wore on and the sunshine faded to a black sheet of night, a muscular built man entered The Jolly Sailor and walked through the crowded bar until he found the person he had been looking for sitting in a far corner with two untouched pints of beer waiting for them on the little round table. Going over to the empty seat, he parked his bottom in the chair and took one of the glasses.

"Long time no see…dad."

Shane looked his eldest son in the eye and nodded stiffly, taking a large swig from his pint before placing the glass roughly on the table.

"How'd you know to get hold of me?" Shane asked, his voice rough and scratchy.

"Ma still pines for you, still has your contact details." George replied.

"Your mother's a fool." Shane stated harshly.

"Something we both agree on." His son said brightly.

There was an awkward silence between the pair. Shane tapped his foot impatiently against the chair leg and folded his arms; scratching absentmindedly at the dodgy printed tattoo on his left forearm. He had been surprised when he had received a message from his son, he hadn't exactly been much of a father to George and Dennis.

"So how we gonna do this? We chat about what we been up to since we last saw each other, I ask about your mum and brother and buy you a pint? Or are we going to get to the real reason why you asked me here?" Shane asked bluntly.

George laughed wickedly.

"Straight to the point. I like it."

Shane didn't reply, he simply looked at his son impatiently as he took another large swig of his pint.

"Alright. I figured that you owe me one. A big favour from the years you've been an absent father. There's a problem that I need managed."

"A problem? Son, I ain't a big problem solver. I cause more trouble than I do resolving it."

"But I need your talents. There's a woman, an incredible woman who I want to possess. She's unique. But she won't give me the time of day. She's involved with a man that I despise." George explained.

Shane raised an eyebrow and gave a low chuckle.

"You getting sentimental over a bird? I'd 'ave you down as a love 'em and leave 'em sort." He commented.

"Elizabeth is different."

"Pretty name," Shane mused, nodding his head to himself, "Nice tits?"

George's jaw stiffened and his face fell. Shane studied his son's face and burst out in a cackle of laughter.

"She's unique but you 'aven't even shagged her yet 'ave you?"

"As I said. She's involved with a man I despise and won't give me the time of day. A very rich man."

Shane's ears perked up at the mention of 'rich'. This was it. The real reason why his son got in touch with him.

"Let me guess…do something to this bird…fleece rich guy…what makes you so sure he'll pay?" Shane questioned.

George took a swig of his pint before setting it back down on the table and grinned at his father.

"Darcy is bitten by the love bug. I've seen it before when he's in love and he would do anything for those he loves the most."

"Then why not take the sister? Your mother was friends with old man Darcy before he croaked it. From what I 'eard, the Darcys are a close-knit type of family."

"If it comes to it…but I'd rather start with using Elizabeth…"

Shane leaned across the table and grinned at his son.

"I'm all ears."


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N:** As always, thanks for the previous reviews. I apologise once again for not updating by the end of August, life gets in the way. But I've been having a think about AHK. My publishing plans for Autumn Changes are now a thing of the past due to what happened with the ripoff work but I have decided that although I won't be publishing any time soon, I want to continue writing for P &P. Therefore, I won't be pulling my stories from this site for now, when this changes I will let you all know because I'm still waiting to hear from the admins at Beyond Austen to get approval to post on the site.

Now as for AHK, the story will hopefully come to an end with thirty-five chapters and I'm hoping to have it finished by Halloween. But due to plans I have for the story and not having the time to wrap up all the ideas in this story, I will be writing a sequel to AHK to conclude everything that will be happening, along with a new storyline that I've had in my head for the past few weeks. I hope to start posting the sequel before Christmas.

Enjoy chapter 28 :)

 **Chapter Twenty-Eight**

The living room floor was cluttered with every single textbook and workbook, revision sheet for various subjects and three blue blazers that belonged to Lydia, Denny and Georgiana. The three teenagers sat close together, testing each other on facts in the different classes they took.

"I hate being back at school full-time now." Georgiana complained.

"Look at it this way, there is less than three months before we finish our GCSEs and go into the world of work." Denny said brightly.

"When are you two going to apply for a summer job?" Georgiana asked.

"After exams are over. The last thing I need is to worry about a job when I'm trying to remember my lines for the drama exam in two weeks." Lydia replied.

"Mum wants me to start looking after the Easter holidays but I doubt I'll find anything until June. At least drama will be out of the way soon Lyds." Denny said, putting down the revision sheet he had been looking at.

"I hate year eleven!" Lydia groaned, throwing her textbook to the floor.

"A few more weeks left," Georgiana pointed out, "What's the likelihood of you saying you hate our first year of A Levels when we face exams for those this time next year?"

"The likelihood of that is quite high!" Lydia replied.

"It's only this time of year we get stressed." Denny mused.

"Speak for yourself. It's been a more than stressful year for me and Georgie." Lydia stated.

Before the three of them could continue with their revision session, Trip came running through to the living room with his lead in his mouth looking hopeful at Lydia. Glancing up at the clock, Lydia sighed as she scratched the little dog behind the ear.

"If my aunt gets back from shopping can you tell her that I took the dog for a walk?" Lydia asked.

"Sure." Georgiana smiled.

The two watched as Lydia pulled on her blazer and attached the lead to Trip's collar and left the house. Georgiana looked over at Denny, picking up one of the Maths textbooks and began to flick through to the page on the stuff they had been taught the previous year.

"You never said…are you going to look for a summer job?" Denny asked.

"I'm considering it. Will thinks that it might be a bit much for me." Georgiana replied.

"Why?"

Georgiana looked up from the book and met his gaze.

"Because he thinks I still need to adjust slowly to a normal routine."

"He's just worried about you. He's a good brother." Denny pointed out.

"I know." Georgiana said fondly.

"You could have it a lot worse."

Georgiana frowned.

"Denny, what is it?" she asked.

"My brother has been getting a little bit violent at home lately." Denny sighed heavily.

She reached over and squeezed his hand sympathetically. It was the second time she hadn't been hesitant about developing a friendship with Denny. They had teased each other and bantered with each other at Lydia's birthday do and she had felt at ease for the first time since her attack. Denny looked at her and gave her a weak smile.

"Can I do anything?" Georgiana asked.

Denny shook his head.

"George and my mum keep arguing to the point glasses or plates are thrown and smashed. My brother reckons my mum just nags him to sort his life out and he told her that he's got to do some things first if he's going to get this girl he's really crazy about." He replied.

"And are you worried about his plans?"

Denny shrugged.

"George isn't exactly the type to get serious with a woman so I doubt this woman he wants is a long-term thing."

Georgiana nodded her head, "If there's anything I can do…" she offered.

"Thanks Georgie." Denny smiled.

They shared a warm look and a smile and she found herself feeling baffled as to why she had been so blind and easily manipulated by Laura Annesley for so long. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid to believe that Denny hadn't cared about her when he was a decent boy.

"What's the matter?"

Coming out of her thoughts she met his curious stare.

"What really happened between you and Laura? She told me that told her you only said you liked me because you wanted to get into my knickers and then you were done being interested. Laura always justified it by saying she only slept with you to protect me from being used by you. It hurt thinking that you could be like that after telling me that you had feelings for me." Georgiana said quietly.

"It was during the year nine drama class production of West Side Story and Laura wanted to practice one on one and I agreed. During the rehearsal in the hall, we were backstage going over our lines when Laura decided to talk about you and how you had told her that I told you I had feelings for you and how you had told me that you had feelings for me. Laura then put on an act of sympathy, telling me that you didn't really like me in that way, that you were doing it for a bet between you, her and the twins to see how far we could go. She told me how you were laughing at me behind my back at how 'girly' it was to tell someone you liked them, you apparently insinuated that I dressed up in girl clothes behind closed doors and borrowed my mums bras to try on. She told me that once you had taken my virginity you would spread rumours around the school. Laura said that was the real you and she told me to spare my feelings because she liked me. One thing led to another and we had sex backstage. I regretted it afterwards. I was ashamed at myself for doing what my brother does and also because I liked you and had slept with your best friend even if I was hurting for what you had supposedly said and done. It wasn't until the day after that you slapped me and confronted me on what had happened." Denny explained.

Georgiana nodded glumly. If there was one thing she could say about Laura, it was that her former best friend was very convincing when she wanted to manipulate people.

"I'm sorry…for how I treated you." She mumbled.

Denny moved his other hand to lightly pull her chin up to meet his gaze.

"It's fine, Georgie. It's okay." He assured her.

"But I was awful to you…" Georgiana stammered.

"Laura can be very convincing when she wanted to be. It wasn't your fault." Denny stated.

"I should have washed my hands of her then. What kind of friend does that?"

"She was never your friend, Georgie. Not a real one. You have Lydia. Kit. Mary. And me…if you want that."

"Is that what you want?" Georgiana asked.

Denny nodded his confirmation and squeezed her hand lightly.

"I've always wanted to be your friend, Gee. Even when you refused to talk to me after what happened with Laura, I've always cared about you. I've always tried to look out for you." He replied.

"But I was too stubborn to listen to you." Georgiana laughed nervously.

"Laura was always good at manipulation. The main thing is you know better now and she's out of our lives." Denny said positively.

Hearing the front door open, the two turned their attention to a soaking wet Lydia emerge into the living room with an equally soaked Trip.

"Bloody rain." Lydia grumbled, closing the front door behind her.

Georgiana shared a look with Denny and the two let out some light laughter.

"What's so funny?" Lydia questioned.

"You look like a drowned rat." Denny teased.

Taking off her wet shoes and socks, Lydia threw one of the socks at Denny's face and three teenagers were caught in infectious laughter.

ooOoo

"I don't understand…so she's still in your life?" Elizabeth asked, not knowing whether to be angry or concerned as she looked down at the handwritten note.

Will sighed, putting down the knife and the half-chopped onion he had been trying to dice. He turned to look at her, sitting on the kitchen counter dressed in one of his long shirts he wore to the office. Her wavy hair hung around her shoulders and down her back whilst her thumbs ran over the scrawled note from Sarah that he had found sitting on the doormat when they had returned from the cinema.

"No, she's not. She occasionally decides to turn up and leave me little warnings that Wickham is plotting something against me." Will explained.

"But why would she feel the need to do that?" Elizabeth questioned, putting the note to one side.

"I honestly couldn't say what her motives are, Lizzy. She thinks I needed to know about a meeting in The Jolly Sailor between Wickham and his long-absent father. She left a message with Georgie a little while ago telling me that Wickham was planning something and now this." Will answered.

"And are you going to take this seriously or brush it off? Why would Wickham be plotting something against you? He has no reason to want revenge."

"I fell for Sarah's lies once before, I don't trust her. As for Wickham, he's always been jealous of who I am, of the family I was born to. It's all about the money for Wickham, that's what he really wants."

"So…you're doing nothing?"

Will shrugged as he walked over to her, running his hands up her bare thighs.

"Can we just drop it? Chuck the note in the bin and get dressed while I finish the dinner prep." Will instructed.

"So, we aren't even going to discuss it?" Elizabeth asked.

"We have and I've asked you to drop it."

"You've been asking me to drop a lot of things lately."

Will sighed heavily as he watched her look away from him, causing him to feel annoyed and guilty at the same time. It had been two weeks since he had asked her to be patient with him in overcoming his fears about telling her those three little words that he was scared to say to her because of his past experiences. She had been patient. Elizabeth hadn't pressured him or scared him by telling him she loved him, she didn't bring up the subject of a future or anything like that. They carried on as they had been, spending time together; enjoying each other's company. Today had been nice, he had returned home early from spending the week in London so he could have a longer weekend with Elizabeth and Georgiana for his birthday at the weekend and she had treated them to a trip to the cinema while he had suggested making the two of them dinner afterwards. On their return from the cinema, they'd gotten passionate in his bedroom before they came downstairs to prep dinner when he had found the note on the doormat.

And now he was facing another awkward and tense moment between them; moments which were becoming more frequent as they had over the past two weeks.

"Lizzy…"

"Forget I said anything." Elizabeth dismissed, climbing off the counter and trying to get past him.

He grasped her arm tightly, looking at her pleadingly. She wouldn't meet his gaze. He had seen the look of hurt and confusion in her eyes and he hated himself for making her feel that way.

"Lizzy…please…" Will pleaded.

"I have to get dressed." Elizabeth said sharply, shrugging her arm out of his grasp and leaving the kitchen.

Will heard her footsteps ascend the stairs and later the sound of his bedroom door closing. He didn't know how to make things right with her. He wasn't ready to utter those words to her because he was still scared that once he did everything would consume him and suffocate him with the pressure. But their relationship was stuck between carrying on the way they had been for the weeks prior to their rut or carrying on the way they currently were. It wasn't always like this. There were some moments that feelings and talking weren't on their minds, where they just enjoyed being together but then the awkward and tense moments happened when one of them got frustrated like Elizabeth was feeling at present.

Sighing heavily to himself, he returned to chopping up the onion he had discarded minutes ago.

ooOoo

Elizabeth closed Will's bedroom door and slumped down to the floor with her back pressed to it. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her head on her knees as she let out a heavy sigh. The last time she had felt like this, useless and broken, was when she had been told of Lydia's ordeal at Jamie Smith's hands and didn't know what to do to make things better. Now she felt this way because her boyfriend had issues in the feelings department and she wasn't sure where she stood with him. She hated feeling lost and unsure of which path she had to take to get back to the happiness she had shared with Will in the weeks prior to their conversation two weeks ago.

She looked at her discarded work clothes that were strewn across the bedroom floor, her phone laying on the floor next to her navy-blue nurses tunic. Crawling across the floor, she picked it up and rested her back against the bed as she unlocked the phone and flicked through her contact list until she came across her sister's name.

 _Are you free? I need my big sister, L._

Pressing the send button, Elizabeth stood up and picked her clothes up from the floor. She pulled on her leggings and socks before putting her tunic back on when her phone buzzed where it sat on the bed covers. Picking up the phone, Elizabeth opened up her sister's reply.

 _Just putting food away. What's up? Has something happened? J._

 _I don't know what to do Jane. Everything is so messed up._

A quick pause as she folded up the shirt she had borrowed from Will earlier, a shiver shot down her spine as she recalled the passionate coupling she had had with her boyfriend, their sex life hadn't yet been affected by her messed up feelings.

 _What's happened?_

 _Will said he heard me tell Oscar I loved him. I told him I did and he didn't say it back. He said he felt the same but couldn't say 'I love you'. He's asked me to be patient and be with him but it's awkward and tense and I don't know where I stand._

It was a few seconds after she had sent her reply to Jane that her phone started to ring.

"Hey Jane." Elizabeth greeted weakly.

"Okay, what the fudge is going on?" Jane asked on the other end of the phone.

Sitting on the bed, she let out another sigh.

"That's the problem, I don't know what is going on."

"So, you got to the point where you told him how you felt about him and he ran for the hills?"

"We didn't exactly reach that point, I had to drag it out of him after he was being a little distant. When he told me what he heard, I confirmed my feelings. He said he felt the same way but wasn't ready to say those words back to me because he was led on and conned by his ex-wife."

"Oh Lizzy…"

"I feel like I'm walking on eggshells, Jane. There are some moments we share that are like it was before that conversation two weeks ago and it's great, it's not awkward. It's the two of us spending time together and laughing and being crazy about each other. And then there's some moments where I feel like I'm questioning whether Will wants to be with me or not. I feel like I can't talk to him about my feelings or what is bothering me."

"Why do you feel like you can't talk to him about anything?" Jane asked.

"Because he confided in me about his past with his ex-wife, she strung him along from the beginning and it broke him. If I tell him I love him, I'm scaring him. If I tell him that not talking about our feelings or what we want from each other is frustrating for me then it's going to scare him into fearing commitment and make him feel like pressuring him or something." Elizabeth explained sadly.

"But Lizzy you have to gently tell him that you need to know where you stand because being in limbo is hurting you. Know your worth. If he can't tell you what he wants from the relationship then you need to move on." Jane stated sadly.

"I don't want it to end Jane."

"I know Lizzy. But you can't be in a relationship feeling miserable. Talk to him gently, see what happens. A little light encouragement without piling on pressure. I'll be in all evening if you want to call me later." Jane encouraged.

"Thanks Jane."

"Gentle Lizzy."

"I got it."

As she ended the phone call to her sister, she saw the bedroom door open and Will stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind him.

"I heard what you said to Jane." He admitted quietly.

Elizabeth placed the phone in the pocket of her tunic and looked at him. She could see the looks of guilt on his face every time things got awkward between them but her sister was right, she needed to know where she stood with him.

"You have a habit for overhearing, don't you?" Elizabeth mused.

"Don't try to make a joke to lighten the mood, Elizabeth." Will warned.

She nodded.

"Sorry." She apologised.

There was a pause between them until Will came closer to her, cupping her cheek with his right hand whilst his left wrapped around her waist.

"I know it's not been easy these last two weeks and we've been hiding and dancing around each other trying to avoid talking about the issue we have. Lizzy, the last thing that I want to do is hurt you." Will said softly, stroking her cheek as a stray tear fell from her eye.

"I don't know what to do." She mumbled.

"Neither do I. But I have to know…do you want to end things here?"

Looking into his eyes, she shook her head.

"Of course not. And I know that right now… I don't care I'm saying it…I love you. I didn't choose to fall in love with you Fitzwilliam Darcy and if you can't handle that…then tough!"

He smiled at her angry declaration.

"Lizzy…I…"

Elizabeth pressed her finger to his lips, her eyes pleading with him not to say something he wasn't ready to say.

"Why are you so afraid that I'll turn out like Sarah?" she asked.

Will sighed, pressing his forehead to her own.

"Lizzy…I know you aren't Sarah…but I opened up to her…she helped me grieve for my mother…I had never loved anyone as much as I loved her, I wanted to marry her. I did marry her until she told me the truth about her plot with Wickham. I had envisioned an entire life with Sarah…marriage, kids, a home, retirement. A whole life. To learn all of that was for nothing because my relationship with her was a complete lie broke me. Travelling with my cousin and best friend was a distraction and while it helped me to move on, it still affects me today." he explained.

"Oh Will." She breathed sadly.

"We've been together for twelve weeks Lizzy and I've never felt more connected to anyone before I met you. It scares me because of how quickly I've fallen for you and how hard I have, harder than I did for her. But whenever the words 'marriage, kids, home, retirement' come in my mind, I get scared that I'm never going to have that, that it will all turn out to be another lie. That I'm not meant to have that." Will finished.

"It's been twelve weeks Will, I'm not asking for joint names on a mortgage deed. Or what names we should call our kids. Or how much you're going to spend on an engagement ring." Elizabeth tried to assure him.

"Then…what are you asking for?" Will questioned softly.

She reached up and ran a hand through his curly hair, fingering the soft texture it had.

"I'm asking for laughter, for snuggly nights on the sofa and dinners out with friends. I'm asking for kisses, long ones, quick ones, soft ones, hard and heated ones, passionate ones, longing ones. I'm asking for hand holding and goofy grins and teasing, for petty arguments over what TV show to watch, to talk about our days and our problems. To fight and make-up in the best way we can. I'm asking for a friend. A companion. A listener. A lover." Elizabeth answered.

He gave a light chuckle as he recognised the words he had said to her twelve weeks ago. She wanted what he wanted right now.

"And in the future?"

"I won't lie. I want you in my life, I can't imagine my life without you in it now. But I'm not asking that we move in together six months down the road from now. I'm just asking you to be with me, work out your issues and pluck up the courage to tell me you love me when you're ready to say those three words."

"I don't know how to work out these issues, Lizzy."

"You helped me work out my issues with my mother, I can help you work out yours with Sarah."

"So, we'll just be together? Is that what you want?" he asked, wanting her to say it one more time.

"Just talk to me, be honest with me, let us work things out together. I'll try and be patient with you and I don't want us to end." Elizabeth stated.

Nodding his agreement, Will pulled her more firmly up against him and pressed his lips to hers.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N:** Apologies for the shortness of this chapter but I will be updating again during the next week so I hope that makes up for it. Just a head's up, there's an angst warning in place due to the events that is happening with this chapter.

 **Chapter Twenty-Nine**

As March turned into early April, the weather was starting to shift to brighter mornings and warmer weather conditions. It was this time of the year that Elizabeth loved, the dewy smell would greet her first thing in the morning if she woke early to go for a run, the light and chilled breeze if she opened the window and the familiar shades of green that were missed during the dull winter months. The Easter holidays had arrived, bringing two weeks of revision for Lydia, Georgiana, Denny, Kit and Mary as they studied hard for their GCSEs, the first lot would take place the second week of May and continue throughout the month, they would get a break for the half-term in May and then finish up by mid-June. Due to Lydia being required to go into the closed school over the two-week period for study sessions in the core subjects with the core teachers, Elizabeth and Lydia had opted to stay in Portsmouth instead of spending the two-week school holidays with Jane at Longbourn, but their sister had agreed to take some leave from the B&B to spend some time with them in Portsmouth.

It was halfway through the first week of the Easter holidays that Elizabeth had stayed over at Will's house for a few days, finally feeling comfortable to a longer duration stay at the Darcy residence with both Alice and Georgiana there, rather than just an overnight stay when Alice was out or Georgiana was staying over at her aunt and uncles with Lydia.

His arms enveloped her as he stood behind her, tracing random patterns on her ribcage through her t-shirt. She was brushing her hair as she looked in the small mirror that hung on his bedroom wall.

"…Will…" Elizabeth breathed as her boyfriend nibbled on her earlobe.

Her hairbrush dropped to the floor as Will tucked her hair over her right shoulder and pressed heated kisses to the left side of her neck.

"Stay here…" he whispered into her ear huskily.

Elizabeth groaned as she stopped his hands from trying to pull up the hem of her t-shirt, resting her head on his shoulder as he continued his path of heated kisses up and down her neck.

"I have to go." Elizabeth groaned, looking up at him.

"No, you don't." Will insisted.

She turned in his arms to see him grinning down at her, his eyes full of desire to do nothing but make love and stay in bed all day. Placing her hands on his chest, she pulled away from him slightly. She wanted to fall back into bed with her boyfriend and spend the entire day lazed around with him but Jane was getting into Portsmouth in the next hour and she wanted to be at home to welcome her sister when she did arrive.

"You are soooo tempting…" Elizabeth muttered with a smile.

"I'm tempting, am I?" Will asked, one eyebrow raised.

Elizabeth nodded.

"You have no idea…" she whispered against his lips.

"So…stay here...a little while longer…" Will whispered huskily, his fingers travelling underneath her t-shirt.

Elizabeth exhaled lightly as she pressed her lips to his and pecked lightly, not giving him the opportunity to deepen the kiss or slide his tongue persuasively into her mouth; she noted how he had the habit to kiss her in a way that made her lose rational thought.

"I want too…I really do…but…"

"But…" Will pouted.

"But I've got to get home, Jane will be here in an hour and we've already lazed about enough for one day." Elizabeth replied.

Will put on his best pout and puppy eyes to try and plead with her to change her mind. Laughing at his playfulness, Elizabeth stepped out of his arms and picked up her hairbrush and placed it into her bag.

"So how long will you be in London again?" Elizabeth asked.

ooOoo

"Just two days, I'll be back on Saturday morning." Will replied, watching as she zipped her back up.

"And you're still alright to go to dinner with Jane and Charles on Saturday night?" Elizabeth asked.

"Of course, I'm looking forward to it."

Sharing a smile, Elizabeth walked over to him and gave him a lingering goodbye kiss and made him promise to call her when he arrived in London safely. Seeing her out, he closed the door behind him and went back upstairs to pack his own bag.

Their nearly fourteen-week-old relationship was back to them being in a good place after they had talked about their issue of avoiding each other and the pressure of commitment when Elizabeth had made it clear that she wanted to continue as they had been instead of wanting to pressure him into picking out engagement rings or looking at house listings. It had been nice getting back into a familiar routine with Elizabeth and she was beginning to feel more comfortable with staying at his house overnight and now a few days rather than leaving at a set time of night.

He was happy. He couldn't deny he was happy again. Everything was going well. Georgiana was settling back into school full-time and was preparing for her GCSEs. His sister was also laughing and smiling again, interacting with her friends and feeling more confident to be independent again, she had even brought up the idea of applying for a summer job so that she could be like everyone else and have that experience rather than relying on him giving her money to spend or waiting for her inheritance. Will knew that Georgiana didn't need to work but he understood why she wanted to get a job. It was nice seeing the friendship that his sister had developed with Lydia Bennet as well. The two girls had a deep bond and connection over their similar experiences and it was because of Lydia that Georgie had been able to come through that. Of course, he knew that while Lydia was happy; she was also nervous as they all waited for the upcoming date of Jamie Smith's appeal hearing.

Folding his clothes that he needed for the next few days into his suitcase, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out, Will frowned as he opened the text message from an unknown number. His eyes narrowed when he saw a picture of Elizabeth kissing George Wickham.

Then the phone vibrated again, this time with words instead of a picture.

 _Thought you should know. Are you sure you can trust your girlfriend?_

Hitting the text box at the bottom of the page, Will angrily put in his reply.

 _Who are you?_

The phone beeped back a few seconds after he had sent his reply.

 _A friend._

 _Nice try, Sarah._

Feeling angry that his ex-wife was attempting to come between him and Elizabeth, Will chucked his phone on the bed next to his suitcase and continued packing. His phone buzzed again and he picked it up to see the 'unknown' person had replied.

 _Sarah who?_

 _Your pathetic attempts to get between me and Elizabeth won't work_

 _She's just like the others who want you, the picture proves that_

Looking at the picture of Wickham and Elizabeth sharing a kiss made his blood boil. His mind began racing through possible scenarios in which Elizabeth had been working with Wickham all along. Had he been stupid enough to fall for another Wickham scam? Had he been stupid enough to fall for a woman who appeared to be genuine and loving? Had he been a fool to trust Elizabeth?

Letting out a frustrated outburst of rage, his phone made contact with the wall opposite the bed and smashed into several pieces on the floor below.

ooOoo

Arriving back at her aunt and uncle's house, Elizabeth felt her heart beat frantically with anger as she saw Oscar sat on the sofa in the living room. Everything had been going so well so far since she and Will had talked about their hesitations and now her ex-boyfriend had some nerve showing up in Portsmouth when she hadn't told him where she lived.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Elizabeth shrieked.

Oscar smiled nervously.

"Nice to see you too, Liz. Your aunt and uncle let me in before they took the dog out for a walk." He greeted.

She folded her arms across her chest and tapped her foot impatiently against the carpet. Oscar let out a heavy breath as he continued to sit comfortably on the sofa.

"Why are you here?" Elizabeth demanded.

"I had a phone call from a friend of yours, she was concerned about you. She said that you were facing an employment tribunal case because your current employer had refused to renew your contract from September and you were in a low place with your job and your love life. I came to offer you your old job back at the surgery." Oscar explained.

Elizabeth frowned, what friend would tell her ex-boyfriend that?

"I don't think you have the power to offer me my old job back."

"I do. I'm the head of the practice, it's one of the reasons I moved back to the UK."

"One of the reasons? I already made it clear to you back in February that I was in love with someone else." Elizabeth scoffed.

"I love you Liz, you know I do. I haven't always been sensitive to what you've been going through but I can try and make up for it. Just say you'll take your old job back and come back to Thurston with me." Oscar pleaded.

"Who exactly told you I was in a low place?" Elizabeth questioned.

"She didn't give a last name, just told me her name was Caroline and she was a good friend of yours."

Caroline. Caroline frigging Bingley. Charles's little sister was the reason her ex had shown up unexpectedly for the second time.

"Oscar…I'm sorry that you were led here under false pretenses. Caroline is not my friend, she's a jealous woman who wants to get her claws into my boyfriend and has been rejected many times by Will. The matter of my work issues has been sorted now so thanks for the job offer but I won't be taking you up on it. I love Will and I'm happy in Portsmouth."

But instead of listening to what she had told him, Oscar got up from his seat and strode over to her, pressing his mouth to hers aggressively as he pinned her hands to her sides. Elizabeth didn't respond to him, pulling her mouth away from his as she squirmed to get her arms free. Her rage was growing as she fought her hands out of his grasp and slapped him as hard as she could across the face and stepped away from him.

"Get the fuck out of here!" Elizabeth shrieked.

Not needing to be told twice, her ex-boyfriend stormed out of the room and slammed the door closed behind him. Elizabeth was shaking; completely shocked by what had just happened. She had never known Oscar to be so forceful like that and never had he ever tried to force himself on her before. Pulling her phone out of her pocket she dialled her boyfriend's phone number and after several rings, she didn't get through and decided to leave him a voicemail.

"Will, it's me. I know you're probably driving but I need to talk to you. Call me back when you get this." Elizabeth said desperately before ending the call.

ooOoo

He had never felt more humiliated in his life. Oscar walked down the street in a fit of humiliation and anger at himself and Elizabeth for what had happened between them. He knew it was his own fault, he shouldn't have pushed her but he had lost all sense of sensible thought and wanted to show her that he still loved her; that actions meant more than words. Trying to kiss her and only to have her shove him away and slap him and tell him to leave now made him feel like the world's biggest prick.

But he was angrier at this Caroline person who had called him up a week ago to tell him she was concerned about Elizabeth. Caroline had told him that Jane Bennet was dating her brother and those two had been discussing the events going on in Elizabeth's life with her. He had been told about the employment tribunal case and how his ex-girlfriend's relationship was breaking down and making Elizabeth miserable and he had been concerned. He had managed to secure his ex her old job position and he knew that Jane would like it if Elizabeth did move back into Longbourn. But he hadn't been expecting to get shot down and rejected so harshly; even if he had acted in the wrong way.

As he got to the end of the street, he heard a yelp of agony come from an alleyway between rows of houses. Hearing a sharper, louder yelp of pain, Oscar went down the alleyway to find a man in his late-twenties on the floor grasping at his leg.

"It's okay, I'm a doctor. What's your name?" Oscar asked.

"George…" the man panted, "George Wickham."

"Oscar Pierce. What happened?" Oscar questioned.

"My leg…sharp…shooting pains…" the man cried out in pain.

"Okay. Try and relax, deep breaths while I examine your leg. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I was walking along...I heard a strange noise so I…came to look and I tripped and fell…I think I've damaged something…"

Oscar instructed the man to take deep and calming breaths as he rolled up the trouser leg on the man's jeans and then carefully straightened the leg. As his attention was focused on the man's leg and gently prodded different areas to see where the damage was, he failed to notice the sound of a van pulling to a sharp stop at the entrance to the alley. He failed to notice the sound of metal scraping along the cobbled ground of the alleyway floor.

It wasn't until he felt a sharp blow to the side of his head that he knew he shouldn't have investigated those cries of agony down this alleyway. Oscar could see the man stand up easily as if he had faked the pain he had been in and was holding a metal bar in his hand; looking absolutely furious with him.

"W-wh-wh-why?" he managed to stutter.

George Wickham looked down at him as he collapsed to the floor.

"I'm not going to lose Elizabeth to you either!" the man declared.

Before he could beg for his life or do anything else, everything went black.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N:** Thanks to all your reviews, I hope that you won't be disappointed with the update 5 days after I last posted. I would like to reply to a guest reviewer from the last chapter: I love that you love my story so much that you get impatient for updates. Believe me, I wish I could update more but I would like to stress that while I'm a stay-at-home mother to three beautiful children, two of my kids have disabilities. I'm also studying at university from home and on top of everyday tasks and running a home, taking care of my kids and dealing with their additional needs and trying to find the time to get back into a pattern of studying, my writing time sometimes falls short. I'm trying to get this story finished by Halloween and then start writing AHK's sequel to start posting in December so I hope this will be able to satisfy your thirst and please stick with me :)

Here's chapter thirty, I'm hoping to update again within a week.

 **Chapter Thirty**

 _"A body was found yesterday morning, washed up on Southsea beach by the city's South Parade Pier. The body of a male estimated to be in his late twenties to early thirties was found by a dogwalker this morning at approximately 6.15am. The police are currently treating the death as suspicious and a forensics team is currently gathering evidence…"_

That was the headline on the local news this morning. Elizabeth sat at the dining table slowly eating a bowl of cereal. While the crime rate was quite high in Portsmouth, it was mostly due to drunken brawls down Guildhall Walk, assaults in the dodgier parts of the city, but it wasn't every day that the local news reported a body had washed up on the beach.

"What do you reckon? Murder?" Lydia asked.

"We shouldn't speculate Lydi." Jane scolded.

"It says in the news report that the police are treating the death as suspicious. If that doesn't scream 'murder' then I don't know what does." Lydia commented.

"Do we have to have such a morbid discussion?" Elizabeth asked.

Lydia rolled her eyes as she closed the textbook she had been reading.

"What's the matter with you this morning?" Lydia questioned.

"Nothing." Elizabeth said defensively.

Jane raised an eyebrow as she took the empty seat next to her at the dining table.

"Doesn't seem like nothing. You've been on a short fuse since I got here on Wednesday. What's the matter?" Jane noted.

"Will hasn't called me since I left his house on Wednesday lunch time."

"Ah you're moping." Lydia teased.

"Haven't you got some revision to do?" Elizabeth snapped.

Rolling her eyes again, Lydia picked up her textbook. When her little sister had left the dining room and headed upstairs to her bedroom, Elizabeth looked at Jane as she continued to eat her cereal.

"Have you and Will had another disagreement?" Jane asked.

"Not that I know of. We were fine on Wednesday but he hasn't returned my calls, it keeps ringing or going to voicemail." Elizabeth replied.

"Do you want me to ask Charles if he's heard from him?" Jane asked.

"No, it's fine, I'll give Alice a call and see if she's heard from him." Elizabeth sighed.

"What are you going to do?"

Elizabeth frowned as she let her spoon clatter against the rim of the bowl.

"What do you mean?"

"You and Will can't seem to communicate and I know you've been trying to talk to him about your problems. But if he keeps ignoring you or avoiding you then you need to think if he's going to be long-term for you." Jane stated.

She knew her sister meant well and was only looking out for her best interests but Elizabeth didn't want to consider the possibility of ending her relationship with William. For all she knew, Will had been extremely busy with TPA business and hadn't had five minutes to spare to call her.

"I need to talk to him first before any decisions are made." Elizabeth said quietly.

Jane nodded her head to tell her that she understood and left the subject alone for the time being. For the rest of the morning, Elizabeth helped her aunt to clean the house while Ed was out finishing the food shopping with Lydia and Jane.

"Are you okay, Lizzy?" Maddie asked.

"Yeah, just feeling a little tired." Elizabeth replied, rubbing her eyes.

Maddie handed her a stack of plates she had been drying and Elizabeth placed them in one of the kitchen cupboards as they continued to put the clean glasses and plates away.

"You've been looking a little run down for a few days now. Do you want to lie down?" Maddie asked.

Elizabeth shook her head.

"No, it's fine. I'll be fine."

"Okay. Is there anything you need to get off your chest?"

"Like what?"

"I try not to pry in yours and Lydia's personal lives, what you do in your own time is your business. But I can be concerned when my niece has been looking miserable. Something is wrong, Lizzy, and I'd like to know how I can help you." Maddie stated.

"I know you mean well, Maddie, but I'll be fine. I just need to talk to Will." Elizabeth assured.

"If you change your mind and need a shoulder or an ear…" Maddie offered.

"I'll let you know." Elizabeth smiled.

Finishing packing away the clean plates, they heard a knock at the door. Maddie put down the cloth she had been using to clean the dishes on the kitchen counter before walking through the dining room, living room and answered the front door.

"We're looking for an Elizabeth Bennet." A stern voice said at the door.

"Lizzy." Maddie called.

Following her aunt's voice, she saw two police officers at the door waiting for her.

"Is there a problem?" Elizabeth asked.

"We need to talk to you about your whereabouts on Thursday." The male police officer replied.

"My whereabouts?"

"If we could come inside." The female officer requested delicately.

Maddie stepped to the side and allowed the police officers to enter the house, sitting themselves down on the sofa as Elizabeth and Maddie took a seat opposite them.

"I'm DC Parsons, my colleague is DC Harris." The female officer introduced.

"As you may be aware from the news report, a body was found washed up on the beach yesterday morning. We have identified the male as a Dr. Oscar Pierce. His next of kin informed us that he wasn't from the Portsmouth area and that the only link he had to the city was you, Miss Bennet." DC Harris informed them.

Elizabeth exhaled sharply in shock. Oscar was dead. How? He had left her on Wednesday in perfect health.

"Oscar…h-he's dead?" she asked.

DC Parsons nodded her head sympathetically.

"I'm afraid so."

"Have you determined the cause of death yet?" Maddie asked, squeezing Elizabeth's hand.

"We are still working on what the exact cause of death was but it is evident that Dr. Pierce spent his last hours being subjected to extreme use of violence lasting a minimum of twenty-four-hours from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday evening and his body was washed up by South Parade Pier in the early hours of Friday morning." DC Harris replied coldly.

Elizabeth let out a gasp of shock. Who would do something so vile, so horrible to Oscar? Nobody deserved to be treated or objected to such an ordeal.

"We'd like to know what your relationship was to the victim." DC Parsons informed them.

Swallowing a breath, Elizabeth nodded her understanding.

"Oscar and I were involved in a romantic relationship which ended nearly two years ago." Elizabeth started.

"Was it serious?" DC Harris asked.

"Quite. We met at work and were together for just shy of a year before the relationship ended. We were planning on volunteering for an overseas charity in Africa together." Elizabeth stated.

"Did the relationship end badly? Why did your relationship with Dr. Pierce end?" the male officer continued.

Elizabeth met DC Harris's cold stare, her eyes welling up in devastation that her ex-boyfriend had been killed.

"My father died in hospital and a week later Oscar demanded that we stick to our original plan to go to Africa together. I told him I couldn't because my father had just died, our family B&B had burned to the ground and I had a joint obligation to co-parent my fourteen-year-old sister."

"That's a lot of expectations for one so young."

Elizabeth glared at the officer.

"I assume, detective, that you've never experienced the loss of your only parent? I wanted to stay in the UK with my sisters, I was nowhere near ready to volunteer with Oscar when I was trying to grieve." She shot back at him.

"My apologies for your loss." DC Parsons said softly.

"Thanks, well that was nearly two years ago. I hadn't heard from Oscar until we were staying with my sister Jane for the week back in the February half-term when he showed up unannounced to give me a birthday card and ask me for a second chance." Elizabeth carried on.

"And how did you respond?"

"I told him I had moved on. I'm in a relationship with someone else. But Oscar came to Portsmouth under false news. A woman named Caroline Bingley informed him that I was in a low place with my job and relationship and that gave Oscar hope. When I told him that it had all been a lie and I was happy with my boyfriend and life here, he tried to kiss me and I shoved him away and told him to leave. That was the last I saw of him."

"When did this occur?" DC Parsons questioned.

"Early afternoon on Wednesday. As for any further questions, I spent the afternoon here with my aunt, uncle and sisters, went for dinner with my sisters on Wednesday evening and then came back here for the night. I was with my sister Jane all day on Thursday and part of the day with my sister Lydia when she joined us from a study session at her school. We went to see a film and then came back here in the evening as Maddie had cooked us a family dinner." Elizabeth answered.

"It seems we can eliminate you from our enquiries." DC Harris muttered, looking down at his notebook that he had been scribbling in the entire time they had been questioning her.

"I'm not a murderer, DC Harris. I'm a nurse. It's my nature to relieve the pain people suffer, not inflict it!" Elizabeth shot at him.

"It's our procedure to understand why the victim came to be a victim, Miss Bennet. Considering that you are the only link to the city that Dr. Pierce had, we had to eliminate you from our enquiries by asking you where you were during the victim's last hours." DC Harris replied.

DC Parsons handed her a business card with her contact details on.

"If there's anything that you can think of, no matter how little or unimportant it seems, please give me a call. We may be in touch further down the line." DC Parsons requested.

The police officers let themselves out of the house, leaving Maddie to wrap her arm around her niece's shoulder as they both tried to process the news that Elizabeth's ex-boyfriend had been killed.

ooOoo

"What do you mean he's dead?" Lydia questioned.

"Oscar was the murdered man whose body was found on the beach." Maddie repeated.

It had been like this since her uncle and sisters had returned with uncle Ed from doing the food shopping. Ed had been putting it away while Elizabeth and Maddie explained that the police had been round and told them the news of Oscar's death.

"I know that but what was he even doing in Portsmouth?" Lydia asked, confused.

Elizabeth looked at Jane.

"Caroline Bingley told him that I was having trouble at work and having relationship issues. Tell me, Jane, do you and Charles gossip frequently about my life?" she accused.

"Lizzy, we only discussed the issue twice, I can't help it if Caroline overheard." Jane tried to reason.

"Jane, I know you're worried about me. But when I talk to you, I expect it to be just between us." Elizabeth cried.

"I'm allowed to express my worry to my boyfriend, Lizzy. I'm sorry if Caroline saw it as an attempt to sabotage you. I'll get Charles to talk to his sister." Jane apologised.

"I appreciate the thought but what good will it do? It's because of Caroline and me that Oscar was murdered."

"It isn't your fault Lizzy." Lydia assured her.

"Feels like it is."

"Lydia's right. It isn't your fault that Oscar came to Portsmouth. Do you want me to call Charles and cancel tonight?" Jane added.

Elizabeth shook her head. As much as she felt guilty for Oscar's gruesome death, she needed to get out tonight to take her mind off it and spend some time with Will.

"Is there anything you need Lizzy?" Ed asked, as he came back into the living room.

"I don't know. I wish I could take it back and handle the situation a little differently. Who knows what happened to him after he left here on Wednesday? He looked so angry with me." Elizabeth mused.

"In my opinion, you handled it the right way. You didn't want him to kiss you and get aggressive with you." Lydia said, trying to console her.

"Again, Lydia's right." Jane agreed.

"Lizzy, why don't you head upstairs and get a few hours of sleep? You look like you need it." Maddie suggested.

Nodding her agreement, she asked Jane to wake her up an hour before they were due to meet their boyfriends in Gunwharf Quays, Elizabeth headed upstairs to her bedroom and curled up on the bed; closing her eyes and trying not to picture Oscar's face from a few days ago.

ooOoo

She had been wanting to see her boyfriend ever since the incident with Oscar had occurred and two days of not being able to contact Will, Elizabeth was feeling like she was on the edge. She hadn't bothered to get too dressed up for dinner, simply opting for a pair of leggings, a casual tunic dress and her black ankle boots while leaving her hair to fall in natural waves around her shoulders. Jane had opted to go for a casual and comfortable clothing choice as well and the two had left their aunt and uncle's house to make the walk to Gunwharf Quays. They hadn't booked a table but Elizabeth wasn't in a rush to eat.

They walked arm in arm through the shopping complex, with Jane talking to her about updates at Longbourn to try and take her mind off the police visit and the bad news that she had received that morning. As she and Jane stepped on to the escalator to climb to the top balcony where some of the restaurants, cinema and bowling alley were located, her face formed a smile as she saw Will waiting for her at the top.

"Charles, let's give these two a few minutes." Jane said, tugging her boyfriend by the arm and heading into the restaurant they had agreed to eat at.

Elizabeth stood in awkward silence until her boyfriend pulled her tightly to his chest and held her there for a few moments.

"I'm sorry about Oscar. Jane told Charles you got the horrible news." Will said softly.

"Thanks. It was just a shock that was all and I didn't know where I stood with you, not being able to talk to you these last few days." Elizabeth replied.

There was another awkward pause which Elizabeth hoped was imaginary until she cleared her throat and decided to get it out in the open and know if she had done something to hurt or offend him.

"Are you going to tell me why you haven't answered my calls or messages for the last two days?" Elizabeth questioned suspiciously, stepping out of his arms.

"I broke my phone, the screen smashed and I've been busy with TPA. I'm sorry Lizzy, I meant to call but I've been busy." Will apologised.

"Too busy to spare five minutes? You could have found a way. And why did you break your phone?" Elizabeth asked, keeping her tone light.

"It was a moment of stupidity. I got a text message from an unknown person and it was a picture of you kissing Wickham. They also warned me that you were like Sarah."

She felt stunned. It was clear to her that whoever had sent Will these text messages wanted to get between them and Wickham was probably behind it all because, let's face it, he was the only one who had kept the pictures of the two of them during their six-week 'relationship'.

"I'm not working with Wickham. I ended that relationship in October because he cheated on me. You know that." Elizabeth said quietly.

Will nodded and took hold of her hand, giving it a light squeeze.

"I got a bit paranoid after seeing that picture but-"

"Wait…you actually thought…you thought what the messages said were true?" Elizabeth asked in disbelief.

Will sighed heavily but kept hold of her hand.

"For a little bit," he replied honestly, "But I realised that me questioning whether I could trust you is what they wanted. I can trust you, Lizzy."

Elizabeth shook her head as she felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. He had said to her so many times that he knew that she wasn't like Sarah yet he questioned whether he could trust her when he had received messages from a stranger that she was working with Wickham. She pulled her hand out of his and folded them across her chest.

"How much more are we going to have to work through Will?" she questioned him.

Will frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"In the beginning, when we first met, I thought you were an arse but you've shown me that you care. You have helped me overcome the issues I had with my mother, you were there to support me through the issue with Catherine, you were there for me during the difficult half-term. You helped me say goodbye to my dad, you held me as I cried and listened to me rant about how unfair it is that that predator is appealing his sentence for the crimes he committed against my sister. Then we agreed to talk about our problems and be together at our own pace after you told me you couldn't say three damn little words to me! And now, some stranger sends you a message with an old picture of me with Wickham when I was dating him and says I'm conning you and working with Wickham and you questioned whether you can trust me?" Elizabeth clarified.

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, I've not been the easiest person lately-"

"That's an understatement!"

"It was just one moment of madness!" Will tried to argue.

"But that's all it takes, Will. One moment of madness which makes you question everything you've learned about me in the last fourteen weeks. By now you should know whether you trust me or not, you shouldn't be hesitant about me when I have given you no reason to be. The fact that you go so angry that you broke your phone and couldn't talk to me when I needed to talk to you shows you're insecure. I needed you! I needed to talk to you because Oscar showed up and made a move on me before I sent him on his way so harshly and now he's been murdered!" Elizabeth cried.

"I know he didn't deserve to be murdered but why do you feel so guilty that he was?" Will shot at her angrily.

"Don't you dare try and make me out to be the one in the wrong!" Elizabeth growled.

"But I'd like to know why you feel so guilty-"

"I feel guilty because it was because of me he was dragged here. Caroline Bingley called him and spun him a web of lies in her own desperate attempt to separate us and he came to Portsmouth to try and convince me to take my old job and him back."

His eyes softened as he wrapped his arms around her, gently pulling her into his embrace. Not wanting to keep fighting, Elizabeth placed her head against his chest and let him hold her for a few minutes of silence. The only sounds were those of the crowds of people below them as they walked from shop to shop, the sounds of conversation that she couldn't make out what was being said and the sounds of the restaurant doors opening and closing as people arrived and people left. She knew Jane and Charles would be wondering where the two of them were and what was taking them so long.

"It wasn't your fault for what happened to Oscar." Will whispered to her.

"I could have handled the situation a little better." Elizabeth muttered.

"He made a move on you and you were right to defend yourself against unwanted contact from him. It isn't your fault Lizzy." He assured her.

She looked up at him, briefly pressing her lips to his before pulling herself out of his embrace.

"Are we okay?" Will asked hesitantly.

Elizabeth shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm angry and hurt that you'd think for a second that I would hurt you like Sarah and Wickham did all those years ago. I just need to clear my head. Why don't you head back into the restaurant, I'll follow in a few minutes?" Elizabeth suggested.

Will nodded, muttering another apology before kissing her forehead and disappeared back into Chiquito to sit with Charles and Jane. Elizabeth walked down the balcony, passing the windows to Chiquito and then Nando's and walked down the spiral staircase that led to the shops underneath and the marina. She rested her arms on the railing, looking out on to the calm water; the Spinnaker Tower reflecting off it. It was quieter in this part of the shopping complex and the calming atmosphere was definitely helping her bad mood.

Suddenly, the calmness that had been soothing her turned into panic and chaos. Turning around, she saw a man running in the direction of the marina from where the residential area of the complex was located. He was running up to people, his hair a mess, his eyes wide in panic and speaking fast and urgently. She watched as the people the man approached looked alarmed and shook their heads at his question until the man ran up to her.

"Are you a doctor?" the man asked her hurriedly.

"I-I'm a nurse." Elizabeth replied.

"Good! My wife…you have to help me…my wife…she fell and hit her head…my son…I left him with her and a neighbour…I need some help!" the man begged her.

"Okay, has the neighbour called an ambulance?" Elizabeth asked.

She began walking with the man quickly as the man explained he had called an ambulance when his wife had fallen but due to a two-car collision on the M275 leading out of Portsmouth, the entire city was on gridlock and hardly moving which meant it would take a while for the ambulance to get from the north of Portsmouth. As all the questions had been answered, the man commented on how Portsmouth City Council needed to rethink their idea to sell off the property that had once been the city's second hospital and now having to rely on resources on the city's remaining hospital. Elizabeth followed the man through the residential part of Gunwharf Quays where nobody was around.

The man stopped and she looked around, noticing how there was no woman in need of medical attention. No little boy distressed to see his mother hurt and no neighbour trying to keep the situation as calm as possible. Instead, there was a man who she hadn't seen since October.

"Hello Elizabeth." Wickham greeted her.

Elizabeth frowned.

"What's going on?" she questioned.

"I'm afraid the game is up now and I'm finally going to win!" Wickham gloated.

"What's going…"

She felt a hand cloth cover her mouth and nose and a strong arm restrain her as she struggled to get free. Whatever it was that was on the cloth was making her lightheaded. Her eyes focused on George Wickham, grinning in triumph as she lost consciousness.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N:** Apologies to readers who are feeling a little nervous, I thought I'd be kind enough to give you an angst warning in place for the next few chapters, with Chapter Thirty-Two coming within the next week. Enjoy.

 **Chapter Thirty-One**

If there was one thing that Jane hated, it was how useless and anxious she was feeling right now. A feeling she hadn't felt since they had gotten the phone call from Roger to say that he had found Lydia attempting suicide in that field and not knowing if her little sister was going to make it through or not.

It had been nearly twelve hours since she, Charles and Will had discovered that Elizabeth had vanished. She hadn't slept. The worry and fear that her sister had been hurt was overwhelming her and she was scared that if she went to sleep then she would awake to the news that Elizabeth had been killed.

 _"Where's Lizzy?"_

 _"Said she'd come in a minute, she needed some air." Will replied, taking a seat._

 _"And you left her alone?" Jane asked._

 _"She'll only be a minute." Will reasoned._

 _"She shouldn't be on her own right now! She's just found out that her ex was murdered." Jane hissed quietly._

 _"Lizzy's strong, I'm just giving her a bit of space. I've been a bit of an idiot lately-"_

 _"Understatement." Jane coughed._

 _Will frowned._

 _"What exactly is your problem with me, Jane?" he asked._

 _"The fact you can't tell my sister you love her, you're stringing her along and it's not fair. She loves you and deserves better than someone who can't man up enough to tell her what is bothering him. And tonight, you leave her outside on her own after being told her ex-boyfriend was brutally murdered. You know how guilty she's feeling; how vulnerable she is." Jane scolded, getting up from her seat and headed outside._

Jane hadn't meant to snap at Will the night before but she was feeling very frustrated with him. She tried to keep an open mind about her sister's boyfriend but she was finding it hard when she knew how much Elizabeth had been hurting over him the last few weeks. But when she had gone outside, she hadn't known where her sister had gone. She'd called Charles and Will to help her search for her sister, heading past Nando's and down the steps. They had searched for an hour, with their phone calls only resulting in a constant ringing before going to voicemail. It wasn't until they were searching the residential areas of Gunwharf that they had found Elizabeth's mobile phone on the ground, her house keys scattered feet away on a patch of grass. A resident from one of the blocks coming out to them to say he had seen her sister being dragged off by two men who had claimed was their daughter/sister who was in a troubled state and were taking her to get some help.

The police had been called and had cordoned off the area where Elizabeth's phone had been found. The resident had given a statement and the police were searching through the CCTV camera footage that had been taken when Elizabeth had stopped at the marina. Will had managed to identify the man on the footage talking to Elizabeth as Shane Wickham, George Wickham's father and then it had come to light that Will's ex-wife had sent him two messages warning Will about George Wickham wanting revenge.

And now she sat on her aunt and uncle's sofa, the home phone and her mobile phone on the coffee table as she anxiously waited to hear if there was any news. Ed had wanted to go out and search, as had Will and Charles, but the police had forbidden it. Elizabeth had been declared as being abducted by a dangerous man and she felt helpless. She wanted to break down because she didn't know if her little sister was going to be okay and she hated that she felt like there was nothing she could do. She felt angry that Will had left Elizabeth alone in the first place knowing how guilty her sister felt over Oscar's death.

She heard footsteps coming down the stairs as she wiped away her tears and saw Lydia standing in the doorway dressed in her pyjamas.

"Couldn't sleep?" Lydia yawned.

Jane shook her head. This was another part she hated. Feeling so utterly useless and yet having to be the strong one for Lydia. She hated everything that she and her sisters had had to go through in the last two years. First feeling useless and scared when she and Elizabeth had watched and screamed and pleaded as their father had rushed in to the fire to save Lydia and then having to transition from losing their father to co-parenting a fourteen-year-old girl. Then everything with Lydia and having to be alone at Longbourn while her sisters moved four hours away and everything that had happened since they had moved.

"I can't. Not until I know she's safe." Jane muttered.

Lydia nodded, taking a seat next to Jane on the sofa.

"I want her home too, Jane."

"Who knows what that man is capable of?"

"Anything. Georgie text me during the night asking if I needed anything. She's told Denny that he and his mum need to get away-"

"You need to stay away from Denny." Jane instructed harshly.

Lydia frowned, looking hurt at the order.

"Denny is nothing like George. He's genuine." Lydia defended.

"Not all people can be trusted, Lydi. I thought you would know that better than anyone." Jane said harshly.

Lydia flinched, a look of hurt spreading across her face that Jane instantly kicked herself for.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not." Jane insisted, sighing heavily.

She wrapped an arm around Lydia's shoulder, pulling her in protectively.

"You don't have to push me away or hold in the tears, Jane." Lydia whispered.

Jane felt the tears escape her eyes as she rested her head on top of Lydia's. She felt so selfish for letting out her worry this way. She shouldn't be breaking down in tears on her sixteen-year-old sister when she was the one who had to be strong. Had to be brave for them both until Elizabeth was found safe and well. She should be protecting her little sisters and she felt useless that she could only see them every six weeks or so instead of knowing that they were sleeping a door or two away from her bedroom back at Longbourn.

"Jane, it's going to be okay." Lydia said soothingly.

"Lydi…I'm…sorry…I-I-I'm…supposed to…be…"

"The mum who looks after me instead of the big sister who gets angry because I stole your expensive eyeliner?" Lydia offered.

Jane nodded, wiping her eyes as the two sisters stared at each other through watery eyes. She sniffed as Lydia squeezed her hand supportively.

"Jane, we'll get through this. Lizzy will get through this."

"I just dread to think what he could be doing to her."

"I know." Lydia said sadly.

"If he hurts her…I'll kill him." Jane promised.

ooOoo

A horrible stench was the first thing she could smell as she regained consciousness. Her eyes scanned the room as her vision came into focus, with them widening in horror as she saw blood painted all over the opposite wall and the floor.

"It looks like something out of a horror film, doesn't it?" a soft voice asked her.

Gasping, she turned her head to her left and saw a raven-haired woman tied up to a chair next to her. Trying to free herself, she realised that her hands were tightly tied behind her to the chair she was bound to.

"Where…am...I?" Elizabeth questioned.

"No idea." The woman replied quietly.

Elizabeth studied the woman for a few moments, she recognised that face.

"You…"

The woman gave her a sad smile and nodded.

"Yes. I'm the one who warned you about Wickham when he was late for your date."

"You said your name was…"

"Sarah."

"Sarah?"

The woman nodded. Elizabeth tried to process what her head was trying to tell her. She knew that the name Sarah was a popular name. But how many people named Sarah were connected to George Wickham and her boyfriend?

"The same one who was married to Will."

The woman nodded again, this time her eyes were full of regret.

"Yes, the one mistake I can't correct." Sarah sighed heavily.

"Have you been on a stalking mission? First you warn me not to get involved with Wickham, then you send a warning to Will via Georgiana and then post a note through his letterbox." Elizabeth accused.

"I wouldn't call it stalking, not to you or Fitzwilliam anyway. Since I returned to Portsmouth I've been trying to get even with George but he's been thirsty for revenge. First, I tried to get you to see him for who he really is and then I learned that he was going after Fitzwilliam again because of you. Wickham wants to possess you, to call you his and when he learned you and Fitzwilliam were together; he didn't like that."

"So that's why he drugged me and kidnapped me?"

"I think he's got a lot more planned than holding you prisoner." Sarah muttered.

"Like you, for example?" Elizabeth questioned.

"He caught me out. He sent a text message to Fitzwilliam to try and sabotage your relationship and Fitzwilliam thought it was me who had sent it so Wickham sent his father after me and here I am." Sarah answered bitterly.

"It's a shame you weren't a bit smarter and avoided Wickham altogether."

"I could say the same about you."

"He charmed me and persuaded me he wasn't what you said he was until he cheated on me and I caught him out. Luckily for me it was only a six-week thing and I hadn't developed deeper feelings."

"Well we both fell for the Wickham charm." Sarah sighed.

Elizabeth nodded in agreement and looked around the room. She didn't know where they were being held or what was going to happen to them but she knew that she needed to get out of here somehow.

"Do you know where we are?" Elizabeth asked, on the off chance the other woman did.

"We're in the basement of an old nightclub," Sarah replied quietly, "It was the nightclub where Fitzwilliam and I would have held our wedding reception."

"I'd assume this is Wickham's idea of getting even with Will?" Elizabeth noted.

Sarah nodded.

"Wickham blames Fitzwilliam for everything bad that happened to him in his life. Holding us here, in the place where Fitzwilliam and I were supposed to start our 'happily ever after' and then having it blow up in his face has made Wickham mad."

"He believes that holding us here to send Will a message that he's the victor in this sick and twisted game?"

Sarah shrugged her shoulders as best she could.

"In my opinion, yes."

"What made you want to scam Will?"

Sarah turned her head to look at her, causing Elizabeth to gasp in horror as she saw that the entire left side of Sarah's face was bruised, swollen and covered in dried blood.

"I thought that I loved George Wickham, more than I had thought I had loved anyone. Our relationship was passionate, exciting, daring. And Wickham promised me the world but he didn't have the means to do so. I was young, naïve and thought that 'the world' meant sunning myself on a tropical island while drinking expensive wine and having spa treatments every day. So, George told me about his nemesis, someone who rubbed it in his face and made him feel like a charity case his entire life and he wanted to take away the one thing Fitzwilliam Darcy cared about; money. I got to know Fitzwilliam, thinking that the picture George had painted of him was correct; that he was heartless, selfish and cold. But I saw the relationships he had with other people, how devastated he was to lose his mother. The first time I told him I loved him, it was a lie. But after a while, I started to feel guilty and began to question if what I was doing was wrong. I'd already accepted his proposal, I kept telling myself that George and I would spend the rest of our lives together and be happy. That I'd have the world." Sarah explained sadly.

Elizabeth felt a pang of sympathy for the woman. She didn't know why but she guessed that Sarah had gotten in too deep and didn't know how to handle the situation. But at the same time, she also felt angry because she was the reason why Will couldn't tell her that he loved her. Sarah was the reason why Will feared having that future he had once dreamed to have and only to have it all ripped away from him.

"You got in too deep didn't you and didn't know how to get out of it?" Elizabeth questioned.

"I soon realised in the lead up to the wedding that George didn't love me and I had been in love with a fantasy when what I really wanted was to be loved like Fitzwilliam loved me and I realised that I loved him. The only way I could see out of the mess I had made was to take and risk by confessing everything after we had signed the marriage certificate and that was how I lost everything."

"You brought it on yourself."

"Don't you think I know that?" Sarah snapped.

"So why have you been bothering to contact Will? You know how much you hurt him that day you confessed it had all been a lie, so why bother contacting him now? After five years of not having any contact?" Elizabeth quizzed.

"So many questions." Sarah muttered.

"I'm just trying to understand-"

Their conversation was cut short when they heard a door open and two sets of footsteps echoed across the stone floor.

"Ah, I see you two have been getting to know each other." Wickham said merrily.

Neither of the women bothered to give him a reply, knowing that he wanted nothing more than to have them beg for their lives. Elizabeth wasn't even sure what Wickham wanted with her. Their relationship had been short and brief but she did know that he seemed to be obsessed with her if he had gone to the length of drugging and kidnapping her.

"So, did the two of you sleep well?" Wickham asked, displaying a look of fake concern on his face as he sat on a chair opposite the two of them.

Sarah merely spat at his feet as some sort of reply, earning herself a slap from the other man that was with Wickham. Elizabeth cringed as she heard the sound of the man's hand made as it made contact with the unaffected side of Sarah's face.

"I apologise for my brute of a father, Elizabeth. You shouldn't be subjected to viewing this." Wickham cooed, leaning forward to stare into her eyes.

"Just let us go, we've done nothing to you!" Elizabeth snapped.

"Now I can't do that. You see, you're going to be mine and if I have to isolate you like this for the rest of our lives, so be it." Wickham threatened.

"You could at least tell me why you're going to make me a prisoner."

"You've gotten inside here," Wickham said, tapping his forehead, "You're all I think about but you wouldn't give me a second chance to prove to you I can be everything you need. You had to go and shag the worst person possible."

"Will isn't the worst person possible." Elizabeth stated.

Wickham laughed harshly.

"You'll come around in time. Once we've gotten rid of the last person standing in our way and Darcy's money, I'll take you away from everything you once knew."

"Last person?" Elizabeth asked, confused.

Wickham turned his head to Sarah, who merely gulped at what Wickham could mean.

"I've done things a normal person wouldn't contemplate for the one they love." Wickham whispered to Elizabeth, circling her as his voice hit her ear.

"This isn't love, it's obsession!" she argued.

"Difference of opinion," Wickham said carelessly, "Like I said, you'll come around. But I'm not going to lose you, Elizabeth. I just have to get rid of those who stand in my way."

"Like who?"

"Well Sarah here is on the list. Your ex-boyfriend was on the list too."

Her entire body froze with shock. The blood up the wall and on the floor…surely that wasn't…

"Yes Elizabeth…" Wickham hissed in her ear, "Your old flame met his end here."

She let out a gasp of horror as the tears fell down her cheeks. Wickham had been behind Oscar's murder.

"How…why…"

"I won't bother you with the details of how he died but do you want to know that the last thing he said before he died?" Wickham asked softly, brushing her hair over her shoulder.

Elizabeth shook her head. She didn't want to know the details of how her ex-boyfriend had suffered at the hands of a lunatic.

"Your name was the last thing he said. Well not Elizabeth but a very affectionate 'Liz'. Is that what he called you?" Wickham tormented.

"Stop." Elizabeth pleaded, her voice breaking.

Wickham laughed harshly as he stepped away from her, walking back around so he could face the two women.

"Right, I suppose it's time for breakfast. What's everyone in the mood for?" he taunted.

ooOoo

Sitting in what had once been the nightclub's bar, George happily munched on the bacon sandwich that he had managed to buy from a local shop. He had dreamed of getting even with Darcy for years and now it was simply days away from taking everything Darcy found important. As he finished the last bite of his sandwich, the door from the basement flew open loudly and his father marched across the room to where he sat.

"We have a problem." Shane announced, chucking a newspaper on to the bar.

Grabbing the newspaper, he saw the frontpage covered with a picture of Elizabeth Bennet on the front and CCTV stills of his father leading Elizabeth away from the Gunwharf Quays marina. Underneath were one of his father's old mugshots and a picture of him stating that he and his father were wanting for questioning for the abduction of Elizabeth Bennet. He punched the wooden bar angrily, throwing the newspaper back at his father.

"How the fuck did the police find out? We told that 'witness' that Elizabeth was my sister and off her head on drugs, always running away and we were taking her to get help!" George screamed.

"Obviously we gotta work better on our story!" Shane snapped.

"Everything is ruined! I can't exactly move around with Elizabeth now can I?" Wickham groaned.

"And Darcy is gonna be on the hunt for you my boy. Let 'er go, get the money and we'll run."

"We?"

Shane cackled.

"Son, if I'm going down, you're comin' with me."

George let out a frustrated scream as he punched the bar again. His plan to run away with Elizabeth and Darcy's money was falling apart now that he and his father were wanted by the police. At least they hadn't made a connection between him and the murder of the doctor.

"What am I supposed to do now?"

Shane cleared his throat, pulling a brand-new phone handset and sim card out of his pocket. George watched as his father fiddled with the handset, putting the sim card and battery into place and switching it on before typing in a phone number into the dial screen and pressing the call button. Shane handed the phone over to him and George pressed the phone to his ear.

The phone rang and after three rings, he heard a distressed voice on the other end of the phone.

"Lizzy? Is that you?"

George chuckled darkly.

"Hello Darcy. It's been a long time."


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N:** Just a reminder, angst warning in place. Chapter thirty-three will come in a week.

 **Chapter Thirty-Two**

Having been interviewed by the police at the police station for most of the night, going over everything he knew about George and Shane Wickham, Will sat at the kitchen table with his head rested in his hands. It had been thirteen hours since they realised that Elizabeth had gone missing and he couldn't help but blame himself. He felt a light tap on his shoulder and he looked up, seeing his little sister looking down at him with a look of concern on her face.

"Do you want some breakfast?" Georgiana offered.

Will shook his head.

"I can't eat right now Georgie." He replied gruffly.

Nodding her head, she crossed over to the kettle and pressed the button for it to boil.

"At least have a cup of tea. You need to rest and keep going." Georgiana stated.

"I know you mean well, Gee, but let me worry about me." Will yawned.

His sister rested her back against the kitchen counter, listening to the kettle boil as she folded her arms. Will met her concerned expression, noting that the dark circles under her eyes, her blonde curls falling around her back that she hadn't even brushed her hair yet.

"Will, talk to me." Georgiana pleaded.

He sighed, knowing that look on her face. It was the same one he remembered their mother having when she was concerned about something.

"You're my kid sister, Georgie, I shouldn't be worrying you about my problems." Will dismissed.

"Stop pushing everyone away!" Georgiana snapped.

He looked surprised that she had snapped at him like that. It had been months since she had.

"I don't mean to-"

"You don't need to pretend with me. You're my brother. You're all I have left." Georgiana reminded him.

"I know."

"So, talk to me."

Will took a deep breath before looking at her again, standing up as she pulled two cups out of the cupboard and prepared them both a cup of tea to drink.

"It's my fault. All of it." Will confessed in a whisper.

Georgiana looked up at him, her brown eyes soft and sad.

"Oh Will…why would you think that?" his sister asked sadly.

"I've been the most horrible person on the planet lately. I should be over what happened with Sarah but it's affecting my relationship with Lizzy. I love her but I haven't told her 'I love you' and then I get a text message from someone unknown who tried to get between us and one moment of madness led me to think for a brief second that Lizzy was working with Wickham to scam me. Then I broke my phone and she was hurt when we talked yesterday and I let her stay on her own when she's just found out her ex-boyfriend was killed. Oh, and me being the super boyfriend that I am, wanted to know why she felt guilty for her ex being killed." Will ranted.

Georgiana gave him a look of sympathy as she made them the tea and handed his cup to him before the two of them sat opposite each other at the kitchen table.

"You're insecure because you loved someone so much that they lied to you from the beginning of your relationship. That's understandable. I think you haven't put what happened with Sarah in the past and now you've found someone you love again you're scared of losing that so you're holding Lizzy at arm's length to stop yourself from letting her in and getting hurt."

"But she already knows about my history-"

"Yeah, so you've told her a few things. You've bonded with her over everything that's happened with our family and hers. You've gotten closer but a part of you won't allow yourself to tell her you love her. You won't allow yourself to be open to the possibility of having all those things you once thought you'd have with Sarah. Do you know what my ordeal with Gregory taught me?"

"To be careful?" Will offered.

"Obviously!" Georgiana rolled her eyes, "But it taught me that the ordeal is something that has become a part of me. I can't forget it, I have to be careful and I have to be sensible but at the same time, I can't let it rule my life."

"Point taken." Will noted.

"I'm serious, Will. When Lizzy gets out of this, when she's safe…you need to sit down with her and open yourself up completely. Take a risk. Tell her those three little words you're scared of saying and stop being a prat. Otherwise you might lose her for good." Georgiana said sharply.

"I shouldn't have left her on her own…"

"You didn't know what was going to happen."

"I know but Jane's right. I knew that she was feeling so guilty and was left vulnerable. I should have stayed with her instead of giving her some space." Will sighed heavily.

"She said she'd only be a minute but I understand why you're blaming yourself." Georgiana replied.

"If I had stayed with her, reassured her that I trust her…maybe she wouldn't have felt that she needed a minute. And because of my stupidity, she's been abducted by some psycho and his father." Will said bitterly.

"Will…it's not your fault…" Georgiana said softly, reaching for his hand.

"But it is Georgie. I ignored Sarah's warnings that Wickham was out for revenge against me. I ignored two warnings that Wickham was plotting something and now Lizzy is paying the price for my stupidity and ignorance." Will cried.

He hadn't wanted to cry. He was trying to be strong but he blamed himself for his girlfriend getting abducted. Georgiana leaned across the table, hugging him tightly as his tears fell on to her shoulder.

"Will, it's not your fault."

"I should have done things differently-"

"Will, stop this. Whatever happened is in the past now and we have to focus on getting Lizzy out of this mess. You've been at the police station all night going over every single little detail that you can think of about Wickham. Get some rest, get something to eat and then we'll go around to see Jane and Lydia and talk to them."

Just as he nodded his head in agreement, the house phone started to ring. The number was withheld but his heart hammered faster with hope that it might be Elizabeth.

"Lizzy? Is that you?" Will asked desperately.

He heard a dark chuckle on the other end of the phone.

"Hello Darcy. It's been a long time." The voice greeted darkly.

Will sat back in his chair with Georgiana asking who it was on the phone.

"Wickham. I swear to god if you've hurt her-"

"Missing the lovely Elizabeth? She's exquisite, isn't she?" Wickham taunted.

"What do you want?" Will snapped.

There was a pause. He could hear Wickham's hard breathing in the background.

"I want everything you've got. You've got six hours to get me all the money you have in your current account and the deeds to your family business. Come alone." Wickham demanded.

"Where? Elizabeth had better be alright!" Will growled threateningly.

"She's fine, Darcy. Six hours. Come alone. The old Joanna's nightclub." Wickham instructed.

The phone went dead. Will placed the house phone back on the kitchen table.

"What did he want?" Georgiana asked fearfully.

"He wants TPA, all of my money. I have six hours to get everything sorted and meet him at the old Joanna's nightclub." Will replied stiffly.

"Isn't that the old one that closed down by South Parade Pier?"

Will nodded. The old nightclub was now a boarded-up building that was falling apart, not a pretty sight to look at now as it once had been in its popular days. He remembered how the nightclub had looked when he had gone to make sure everything was in place before the wedding reception before he had headed to the wedding ceremony to Sarah. He could only imagine Elizabeth being kept in horrible conditions now.

"What are you going to do?" Georgiana whispered.

"I'm changing and then heading over to see Elizabeth's family and call the police."

"Will, if Wickham knows that the police are involved, won't Lizzy get hurt?"

Will let out a frustrated sigh.

"I don't know what to do, Georgie."

"We'll figure it out. Let's get dressed and head over to see Jane and Lydia."

Draining their teas in a few large mouthfuls, the siblings climbed the stairs and went to their bedrooms to change.

ooOoo

Stumbling up the few steps, Shane dragged Elizabeth into the bar, closing the basement door behind him as he threw Elizabeth to the floor. Glaring up at Shane, she massaged her arm where the old crook had gripped and dragged her when she had refused to comply with the request of 'come willingly' to talk to George Wickham.

Wickham tutted down at her as he bent down to her eye level.

"If you co-operated, you wouldn't have to be subjected to rough and tumble. Unless you like that sort of thing?" Wickham probed.

"What do you want?" Elizabeth snapped.

Wickham placed a finger under her chin and titled her head upwards.

"I want you. I want to get this…thirst for you…under control." He muttered.

Elizabeth whimpered in fear as she saw the darkness cloud into Wickham's eyes. She had never seen the evil that dwelt behind his eyes before in any person she had ever met; and she had met her fair share of horrible people.

"Where shall we start?" Wickham mused, "I want to know what excites you. What makes you fall over the edge. I want to know what makes you tick. If you're as passionate when you're angry as I have imagined you are."

"Too bad you won't ever find out." Elizabeth stated.

Wickham laughed, caressing her cheek roughly.

"I will find out. You're going to start co-operating or else."

"Or else what?"

Wickham laughed again, moving his lips to her ear. Elizabeth had no choice but to listen what he was whispering to her, her eyes widening in horror as he continued to taunt her with his words. She hated this man, with his sick games and sick thoughts and vile actions. When he had finished, he moved his head back so she could meet his gaze.

"Now here's what's going to happen. You're going to go back to that cellar and eat the food my father got for you and Sarah. You're going to comply with every demand I make of you or otherwise, I'll start telling you more details of your dead lover's demise and I'll have to resort to drastic measures…" George instructed, "You wouldn't want sweet little Lydia to join you and Sarah in that basement, would you? Or Jane? I haven't met your older sister but from what you've told me, she means just as much to you as little Lydia."

Elizabeth felt the tears trickle down her cheeks as she moved away from Wickham, feeling like she had no choice but to do as she was told if it meant keeping her sisters safe from harm.

ooOoo

Throwing the brunette back into the basement and announcing he would be back to check on them later, Shane slammed the door to a close and locked the door before placing his back to the wall and rubbing his forehead.

He was getting involved in this situation more deeply than he wanted to be. He hadn't known that they would be kidnapping and murdering a doctor until George's spying had alerted them to the problem that he was going to get in the way of them getting their hands on the Darcy family money. But it had happened. George's plan seemed to be getting more out of control with each hour that passed. The original plan was to watch Elizabeth Bennet like a hawk and when the moment presented itself, abduct the girl and hold her for ransom and once he had his share of the Darcy money, he'd make a run for it and leave George to do what he liked with the Bennet woman. But then they tried to drive a wedge between Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet by sending the man an old picture of his son and the woman kissing and then they'd found out that Sarah had been trying to warn them about their plot. And then the Doctor had to get involved and now it was looking messier and messier the more time went on.

The plan was failing and it wouldn't be long before the police would get them both.

Prison wasn't an option for him. He enjoyed his freedom, having only been out for a short while after his last stint.

Sighing to himself, his mind was made up. If the plan went further out of control, he would save his own arse and leave George to the wolves.

ooOoo

Elizabeth sat on the far side of the basement, her back pressed against the cold, stone wall as she chucked the remains of a bacon sandwich on the floor. She stared at the dried blood that was splattered across the opposite wall, the blood belonging to her ex-boyfriend and shivered. It had been horrible, sitting so close to it when Wickham had had her and Sarah bound to the chairs but he had at least been 'nice' enough to let them stretch their legs around the basement and have something to eat. Well, he had boasted that it was a nice gesture to keep his captives fed and watered but she and Sarah saw it as sick and twisted. Sarah sat an arm's length away from her, the left side of her face looking more swollen and battered as the minutes passed while the right side of her face showed a dark red handprint from where Shane Wickham's hand had slapped her as hard as he could. The only part of Sarah's face that hadn't been affected by the beatings that she had endured appeared to be the woman's ability to talk still.

"I'm sorry, about your ex." Sarah muttered.

She simply shook her head. She didn't want to talk about Oscar when she was having all sorts of images rush through her mind of just how much torture he had been subjected to thanks to George Wickham; and knowing that the last thing Oscar had said before he died had been her name only made her feel guiltier than she already did for it.

"We need to get out of here." Elizabeth said desperately.

"There's only one point of entry and that's the door Wickham and his father came through and I guarantee that they've locked it." Sarah replied.

"I have to get out of here!" Elizabeth snapped, tears falling down her cheeks, "I won't be his prisoner. I won't be his prize."

"Wickham has already proven he will stop at nothing to get what he wants." Sarah pointed out.

"I know he will but I'd rather die than have Wickham do whatever he likes to me." Elizabeth sniffed.

Sarah shuffled closer to her, offering her the clean napkin that Shane had chucked at her when they had been given their bacon sandwiches. Elizabeth took it, giving her a quiet 'thank you' as she wiped her eyes dry.

"What plans do you have for the future? Is there something that you really want to do?" Sarah asked.

Elizabeth frowned. She couldn't think about the future when she wasn't even certain what tomorrow was going to bring.

"You want to talk life goals now of all times?" Elizabeth snapped.

"What's the alternative? Speculate on what Wickham is going to do to you? Or me?" Sarah snapped back.

"I can't focus on the future." Elizabeth muttered.

"Tell me about your family." Sarah requested.

"My family?"

Sarah nodded, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Tell me."

Elizabeth took a breath to calm her nerves as she focused on the thought of her sisters.

"Quite a small one really. It's just me and my sisters." Elizabeth started.

"No parents?" Sarah asked quietly.

Elizabeth shook her head. What she would give to have her dad be alive and well again.

"My mother walked out on us when I was ten years old. My dad died nearly two years ago in a fire." Elizabeth replied in a loud whisper.

"I'm sorry." Sarah said softly.

"Dad raised us. Me and my two sisters. And now they are all I've got left." Elizabeth sighed.

"What are their names?"

"Jane. She's a year older than me. Lydia, she's nine years younger than me."

"Nice names. Are you close?" Sarah asked.

Elizabeth nodded, memories of her and her sisters began to flash through her mind. Her teenage years as she spent time with drawing with Lydia when her little sister was four years old, spending afternoons making up silly dance routines with Jane in Jane's bedroom at Longbourn when she was thirteen, seeing her dad's face light up in pride whenever he came to watch them in a school event. She remembered all the laughter, spending time with her aunt, uncle and cousins in Portsmouth during the summer holidays. The thought of losing that relationship, that bond, never being able to laugh or be with her sisters again scared her.

"They're all I have left." Elizabeth said, her voice trembling.

"What about Fitzwilliam? You two are together, aren't you?" Sarah questioned.

Wiping her eyes on the napkin again, Elizabeth sniffed and turned to look at her boyfriend's ex-wife. She didn't know what Sarah's motives were when it came to Will. She didn't know if Sarah was hoping for a second chance but right now, she didn't know what her future was going to be like.

"I love Will. More than I have ever loved anyone. But I don't know where I stand with him and it's all your fault." Elizabeth said, her voice full of blame.

Sarah nodded sadly but said nothing in reply.

"What you did to him…how you lied to him…it destroyed him. And he thinks that I'm going to do the same thing to him that you did. I tell him how I feel about him and all he offers back is a 'I feel the same but I can't say I love you' because of what you put him through." Elizabeth yelled, her voice echoing around the basement.

"I'm sorry." Sarah apologised sincerely.

"You can't change the past. It's done. And if I get out of this mess, I don't know what I'm going to do. I was so sure that I could help Will get past his issues with you, that we could enjoy being together with no pressures or fears of what the future holds and now I'm stuck here in a cold basement with my boyfriend's ex-wife, unsure whether I will live to see another day because I'm being held captive by some psycho who plotted with you to destroy Will." Elizabeth sighed.

Sarah stood up, kicking her shoes off as she began to pace around in a straight line in silence. The only sound was Sarah's footsteps until Elizabeth saw her stop and look at a plank of wood that laid abandoned in the corner of the room. Sarah eyed the plank of wood and walked over to it, picking it up and grunting at the weight of it.

"What are you doing?" Elizabeth asked.

"Shane said he was coming down here to check on us soon, what if he comes alone?"

Elizabeth stood up and folded her arms across her chest.

"Are you seriously suggesting that we knock him out with a piece of wood?"

Sarah shrugged.

"What's the alternative?" the raven-haired woman asked.

Elizabeth bit her lip nervously. She wasn't sure if she liked this idea. As a rule, she hated violence, she had had to patch up god knows how many people due to violence during her time as a student nurse, nurse practitioner and a school nurse. But she had seen the damage that Shane had done to Sarah's face and knew that he was a thug. She hadn't known the extent of Oscar's murder at the hands of the two Wickhams but she knew in her gut that Oscar had suffered greatly. But Sarah was right, they had to find a way out of this and take that risk to get to safety. If she wanted to see her sisters, her aunt and uncle or Will again, Sarah's plan was their one shot to get to safety.

"I'm not saying I like it…but what do we do?" Elizabeth asked.

Sarah gave her a nod of the head, placing the plank of wood on the floor and the two huddled together to come up with an idea that might save them both.

ooOoo

The day had progressed terribly slowly for Will. Having washed and dressed as quickly as he could after Wickham had ended their phone call, he'd headed straight round to see Elizabeth's family members to tell them about the conversation he'd had with Wickham. Everyone had been shocked and still feared for Elizabeth's safety, but the question was what were they going to do? If Will gave in to Wickham's demands, he'd lose everything that the Darcy family had built over the years. If he didn't, they didn't know what Wickham would do to Elizabeth. They were still waiting for the police to arrive when Will had left to speak to his solicitor.

Looking around the street to see if anyone was watching, and satisfied that nobody was, Will banged on the side door to the old nightclub and waited impatiently; briefcase in hand. The door opened quietly and he was led inside by Shane Wickham, following the old man until he was walking across the dancefloor and stopped at the bar where Wickham sat casually.

"You look like shit Darcy," Wickham greeted merrily, "have some trouble sleeping?"

He dropped the briefcase on to the bar, grabbing hold of the front of Wickham's t-shirt and pulling him so that their faces were inches from each other. In the moment, he wanted nothing more than to punch the living daylights out of the smug bastard but he kept his cool. He knew that Wickham was capable of anything and he couldn't put Elizabeth's life in danger.

"Where is she?" Will growled threateningly.

Wickham merely smiled, gesturing that he wasn't going to talk until he was released. Will released his grip on Wickham and stepped back slightly. He watched as his nemesis opened the briefcase to look at the contents, frowning deeply as a look of disappointment washed over his face.

"I was expecting cash, Darcy." Wickham tutted.

"It's a Sunday, I couldn't get to a bank until tomorrow." Will pointed out.

"Then I want a cheque and until that cheque clears, Elizabeth will be staying with me."

"I don't think so."

"I think she will," Wickham stated, "Let's call it security. See, you write me a cheque now and I put it in the bank tomorrow after I make a getaway, you'll call your bank and have it cancelled. If I keep Elizabeth with me until the cheque clears, it means that you'll be on your best behaviour."

Will felt his jaw tighten in anger as he tried his best to remain calm under the situation. He couldn't risk letting his anger slip because it meant that Elizabeth was at risk of being hurt.

"Fine. I want to see her before I do." Will requested.

Wickham hesitated for a moment and gave a jerk of the head to Shane who exited the room and headed to the basement door. The two men remained silent and Will tried his best to keep his nerves and his anger in check. He couldn't lose his temper. He couldn't beat Wickham to a pulp. But it didn't help that Wickham stood a little way from him and looked of triumphant and smug about what he had done over the past day.

"I imagine it must be hard for you, Darcy." Wickham commented.

 _Don't give what he wants. Don't give him what he wants._

He breathed deeply. The voice inside his head telling him to keep calm.

 _Oh but it is so tempting to beat the crap out of him right now._

"I can imagine you must be feeling embarrassed and like a failure that after all these years, I've bested you."

 _Don't give him what he wants. Don't give him what he wants._

"I mean, I almost had you five years ago but-"

"What did I ever do you, you piece of scum?!" Will snapped.

Wickham looked at him darkly.

"All my life...I had to watch you like you were some sort of...god. I had people say I was the Darcy charity case because my mother couldn't afford to educate me at Rosings. I had next to nothing. My mother always preferred my baby brother, she never gave me the time of day once Dennis was born. All the girls...you remember Rebecca don't you? The first. She didn't want to know the Darcy charity case when she could have the Darcy himself. But most of all, you had that father/son bond. Sure, your old man was a good one, he helped me and ma out over the years but I never had that. You had it all!" George shouted, his voice echoing around the empty room.

Will sighed heavily. All of this...all because George Wickham was jealous.

"I didn't ask to be born a Darcy." Will said through gritted teeth.

"Well that's where we'll agree to disagree!"

Before any more could be said between the two of them, they heard a commotion coming from the basement. Without looking back at Wickham, Will headed in the direction of the basement door before they heard a scream.

A scream of terror.

The sound of a gunshot.

Another scream and Shane Wickham came running out of the basement and out the side door from which Will had entered the building. George Wickham froze for a brief moment before choosing to bolt after his father.

Without caring what or where the Wickhams had headed, Will rushed into the basement; the first thing he saw was blood flowing slowly over the floor.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N:** Well, I did warn you lovely readers a while ago that there would be a lot of cliffhangers ;) I know, I'm a bit mean at times. But you can stop hanging, or biting your nails, here's chapter thirty-three. Nearly at the finishing line for part one of this story.

Enjoy.

 **Chapter Thirty-Three**

"Oh my god…." Will managed to breathe out.

He stood frozen to the spot, unsure of what to do. When he had heard the gunshot his first thought had been to get to Elizabeth and get her out of this mess, get her to a hospital before she would bleed to death but upon seeing the basement, he felt relieved that his girlfriend hadn't been the one who had been shot. It had been his ex-wife. Watching as Elizabeth shakily fell to her knees and pressed her hand as hard as she could over the wound where Sarah had been shot, he stood there frozen in the doorway as blood slowly flowed across the floor.

Sarah let out a strangled cry of pain while Elizabeth held down on her pelvis. He didn't know what to do, there were sounds of footsteps running into the club, shouts of armed police and warning them to put their hands up but Elizabeth didn't move.

"Lizzy…" Will said softly.

"Throw me your jacket." Elizabeth instructed sharply.

Taking off his jacket, he threw it over to her and watched as Elizabeth used it to cover the wound while she searched for an exit wound but didn't find one which he could only assume that the bullet was lodged somewhere inside of Sarah's body. In that moment of uncertainty of whether Sarah was going to make it, it was clear just how incredible Elizabeth was. He couldn't imagine what kind of hell she had been put through in the last day but instead of being useless like he was in this moment, she was doing her best to save the life of his ex-wife.

DC Harris entered the room with some paramedics while the commotion of armed police in the room above their heads filled their ears. A paramedic took over from treating Sarah as Elizabeth stood up shakily. Will took her hand, squeezing it lightly as she let out a sob of relief and threw her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. Will held her tightly, letting her cry out all the emotions she must be feeling as he wrapped his arms protectively around her. His heart broke to see how much she was hurting.

"Miss Bennet, if you'd like to come with me, there's a paramedic outside waiting to look you over." DC Harris requested gently.

Elizabeth nodded her head against his chest as she sniffed in a breath. Will released her from his arms, holding her hand as the detective led them out of the basement. His girlfriend didn't say anything, he hadn't ever seen her this quiet before but understood that she must have had a traumatic time being held captive by George Wickham. They followed the detective, watching as paramedics were rushing Sarah out of the building and quickly into an ambulance as another paramedic asked Elizabeth to sit in the back of the other ambulance to be looked over.

"Looks pretty gruesome down there," DC Harris said to his colleagues, "Forensics are on their way to look over the crime scene, I'm going to take a statement from Elizabeth Bennet-"

He watched as DC Harris came over to them, looking determined to get what he needed.

"Elizabeth, can you tell me what happened to you?" DC Harris asked.

"Wickham…he killed…" Elizabeth began to sob.

"The other young woman is still alive," DC Harris reassured them, "She's suffered a gunshot wound to the pelvis but she'll be alright once the paramedics get her to Queen Alexandra Hospital for emergency surgery."

"Not Sarah…Oscar…he killed Oscar…" Elizabeth sobbed.

The detective stared at her for a few seconds before pulling out his mobile phone and walking a few feet away from them to talk to the person on the other end of the conversation. Will took his girlfriend's hands, wishing he could hold her tightly in his arms and make all the pain go away, he couldn't imagine what she was going through right now. The paramedic was happy that she hadn't suffered any serious injuries but she needed to stay overnight so that she could receive some support from the mental health team after her ordeal. Climbing in to the back of the ambulance, Elizabeth was strapped down to the bed while he sat in the chair next to her and buckled his seatbelt and continued to hold her hand to assure her that he was there for her for everything now.

She didn't look at him. Whether she wouldn't or couldn't, he didn't know but he was happy that she allowed him to be there with her instead of pushing him away. He wanted to ask her if she was alright, if she needed him to do anything, but he knew that at some point she would talk when she was ready and pushing her before she was ready to talk about anything wouldn't help her. All she could manage to get out to the paramedic was to confirm her name, date of birth and tell them that she wasn't allergic to anything and even then, she had been on the verge of crying.

It felt like a hand was squeezing all his internal organs watching her like this. It felt like someone was trying to stab him he felt so guilty for questioning her why she had felt guilty over Oscar's death and now he felt horrified and angry with himself that she had been kept in the same room where her ex-boyfriend had been brutally murdered by the man who had killed her ex-boyfriend. He wished that there was something he could do and he felt powerless knowing that there wasn't. Even when Georgiana had been through her ordeal with Gregory, he had been able to get to her in time to stop his sister being hurt more than she already had. But he blamed himself for not staying with Elizabeth when she wanted a few minutes alone, he blamed himself for her wanting to have those few minutes alone, he blamed himself for ever questioning if he could trust her or not.

When they finally arrived at QA hospital, they were greeted by the relieved sobs of Jane and Lydia, along with Maddie and Ed as they all held Elizabeth tightly in their embraces and refused to leave her side now they knew that she was alright. When the paramedic wheeled her into one of the waiting bays, he opted to stay in the waiting room with Maddie and Ed as only two people could wait with the patient.

ooOoo

It had been a quiet few hours sat in the room with her sisters. Elizabeth couldn't help but feel exhausted as her sisters sat on the bed next to her as they waited for the doctor. Few words had been spoken between the three of them and the words that had been spoken mainly expressed her sisters' relief that she was safe and that they had been scared. All she could do was break down in tears because she felt overwhelmed by what she had been through. Hearing Jane call her name softly, she looked up at her older sister through tired eyes.

"I've just got off the phone to DC Harris, you don't need to worry, they've got Wickham and his father in a cell at the police station." Jane said with relief.

Elizabeth nodded, feeling a fresh batch of tears fall down her cheeks. Her kidnappers had been caught, the armed police had had the club surrounded because of Shane Wickham's past criminal life and connections to some shady characters that had possibly been able to supply him with a weapon, but it didn't make her feel better. She felt a little safer now she was back with the people who mattered to her but it didn't make her feel better. In the past few days she had been told her ex-boyfriend had been brutally murdered by a psychopath who had ended up kidnapping her, threatening her and taunting her, making her believe that she wouldn't see her family again. She'd feared for her life, for Sarah's life and what Wickham would do to get what he wanted.

"Lizzy, he can't get to you." Jane assured her, her voice breaking.

Both her sisters squeezed her hands and cried with her when there was a knock on the door. Will poked his head around the door to see if they needed anything when he entered the room with a worried look on his face.

"What do you want?" Jane snapped.

Elizabeth wiped away her tears, asking Jane and Lydia to give them both a minute to which her sisters obliged and stepped out of the room. Will sat on the edge of the bed taking her hand.

"Is there anything you need?" Will asked.

"There's nothing you can do." Elizabeth sniffed.

"Lizzy…I was so scared…"

"So was I." Elizabeth cried, her voice breaking as she sobbed again.

Will wrapped his arms around her tightly, again letting her cry into him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, just wanting to redo the last few days and have a reset button. A part of her wanted to travel back to last summer when she had first come across Wickham and warn herself to stay away but travelling in time was impossible. But she wished that she could. She wished that she could change a lot of things. All of the suffering that people had suffered…

The door opened and she jumped out of her skin, her heart rate picking up in alarm as she saw a female enter the room.

"Sorry, I did knock, but I guess you didn't hear me." The doctor apologised.

Elizabeth nodded, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"I'm Doctor Richardson, I work in the mental health team here at QA. I just wanted to introduce myself and say that I would like to keep you here for a few days to help you through the ordeal."

"I get it." Elizabeth muttered.

Dr. Richardson gave her a sympathetic nod and took an empty chair next to her bedside.

"We'll get you moved to a private room on one of the wards within the hospital and come up with a treatment plan-"

"She's not crazy!" Will complained.

"I'm not saying Miss Bennet is, Mr...?"

"Darcy. Fitzwilliam Darcy."

The doctor checked her chart and nodded to herself before looking back at Will. Elizabeth frowned, wondering what the problem was.

"My colleagues have been trying to contact you Mr. Darcy." Dr. Richardson stated.

"About what?" Will questioned.

"It seems that you are the nominated next of kin for Sarah Younge, according to her medical records, you are her ex-husband? The closest family member she has?"

"Exactly. My ex-wife."

Dr. Richardson noted the icy bite to Will's tone of voice but Elizabeth didn't want to talk about bitter pasts right now when she was curious to know if Sarah was okay.

"Is Sarah okay?" Elizabeth asked.

Dr. Richardson let out a long sigh.

"I shouldn't really tell you but considering the circumstances…Miss Younge is in ICU and she's been brought around, the surgery she needed was successful and my colleagues believe she'll make a full recovery." The doctor explained.

Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief. She had been worried about whether Sarah would live or not after being shot by Wickham's father.

"Lizzy…are you okay?" Will asked quietly.

"I'm just glad that she'll be okay…" Elizabeth cried, "It was her idea…to try and get out of there…she tried to hit Shane with the wood…told me to stay back the entire time…wouldn't let me help her…seeing that gun…seeing her get shot…"

She felt herself crying again. She had never felt weaker in her entire life but she couldn't stop herself from crying out all the emotions she felt. Guilt. Fear. Relief. Happiness. Safe. Anger.

"Miss Younge has been asking to see you, Mr. Darcy." Dr. Richardson informed them both.

Meeting Will's gaze, she gave him an encouraging nod.

"I don't want to leave you." Will whispered.

"Go and see Sarah, see what she wants. I'll be fine." Elizabeth assured him.

"I'll be back." Will promised, kissing her forehead.

Elizabeth could see that he was feeling conflicted as to whether or not he should leave her but she knew that Sarah needed to see him for some reason. He lingered in the doorway for a few seconds longer before disappearing and her sisters stepped back into the room.

"We'll get you settled into your room and don't worry, we're with you every step of the way to coming through this traumatic ordeal. You should get some sleep-"

"I don't want to sleep. Every time I close my eyes…I see his face."

"Whose?" Jane asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Wickham's…Oscar's…."

Dr. Richardson nodded her understanding.

"I can give you a sleeping pill if you want some help to sleep. But Elizabeth, you've been through a terrible ordeal, your body will succumb to exhaustion and you'll be put on longer bedrest and strapped to a bed and a drip if you don't get the rest you need."

"I just want to forget."

Standing up, the sisters followed Dr. Richardson out of the A&E department and to the room where Elizabeth would be spending the next through days getting some help from the mental health team.

ooOoo

Will poked his head around the curtain, sighing heavily as he saw Sarah laying in the hospital bed wide awake. He hadn't wanted to come to see her and had only agreed to do so when Elizabeth requested he go and talk to her.

"Hello Fitz." Sarah greeted weakly.

He took the empty chair next to her bed and gave her a stiff nod of the head. She was battered and bruised, her face had taken a nasty beating by the fact that Sarah couldn't open her left eye to look at him. It was clear that Wickham had made her suffer while holding her prisoner for god knows how long.

"I'm still the person you nominated as your next of kin so the doctor's informed me of what happened to you during the surgery. Has anyone told you yet?" Will asked.

Sarah nodded sadly.

"The bullet was lodged in my uterus, they had to remove it to get the bullet out." Sarah sniffed.

"You're lucky it wasn't more serious."

"Yeah I guess."

There was an awkward pause between the divorced pair. Will noted how tired she looked, whether that was from being kept a prisoner by Wickham or from the surgery she'd had hours ago, he didn't know. But he knew that she was feeling alone, if she hadn't named anyone else as her next of kin in the last six years.

"Lizzy told the police everything that happened in the basement from when Wickham took her." Will said, starting a new conversation.

"She's incredible." Sarah complimented weakly.

"She is." Will agreed.

"Not many…people would…help me…like she did…" Sarah winced.

Will looked over at her concerned.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Need…pain…relief…"

A nurse came running in to check on them both after he had pressed the call button and Sarah's pain relief was topped up as the nurse wrote on Sarah's chart and said she'd be back in ten minutes to take Sarah's temperature. His face softened as he witnessed the pain at what his ex-wife must be experiencing but he couldn't understand why she would have risked her life in her the first place.

"Why did you do it?" Will sighed heavily.

Sarah smiled up at him weakly.

"She loves you. Really loves you. Elizabeth didn't take it…too well down there… she was traumatized. She had to listen to…Wickham taunt her…about her ex-boyfriend…he killed him down there…he threatened to take her sisters…do things to her…It was my idea…get her outta there…she would be back…with you…" Sarah explained.

Will nodded.

"And you didn't think about your safety?"

Sarah shook her head.

"I don't matter…not anymore…"

Will didn't know what to say. He'd always been told by Sarah that she had no family when they were together and when they had been together they had said that they would make their own family but it had all been lies. She had mattered to him when he had been in love with her but he hadn't been in love with her for a long time.

"You mattered to me once." Will said softly.

Sarah nodded, "I know." She cried, her voice breaking.

Will held her hand and gave it a tight squeeze. In this moment, he pitied her for being held prisoner and being shot by Wickham's father but knowing that she had wanted to get Elizabeth to safety and had put his girlfriend's life ahead of her own touched him that she had thought about someone else ahead of her own interests, it made him grateful that Elizabeth hadn't been hurt.

"Fitzwilliam…for everything I did…I'm sorry. I should never…have done that to you…I did love you…still do…"

"I haven't felt that way about you for a long time."

Sarah nodded her understanding, tears falling down her cheeks.

"I lost my chance…don't let yourself lose yours." Sarah advised.

Will frowned.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Elizabeth…she told me she loves you...but you're pushing her away because of me…I don't want you to…end up like me…full of regret…unable to put things right…" Sarah replied.

"What else did she tell you?" Will muttered quietly.

"She doesn't know where…she stands with you…if there is a future. Fitz, whatever it is…don't hold her at an arm away…"

Will sighed, kicking himself internally for causing so much hurt and confusion for his girlfriend. He had no idea what must be going through Elizabeth's mind, even though he knew that he hadn't been making things easy for her lately.

"Sarah, what you did, what you were planning to do, it broke me. I haven't been interested in any form of romantic relationship after what you did but then Lizzy crashed into my life and after a rocky start, she was there for me. She helped me with Georgie, is still helping me, she's incredible. She's amazing and because of what you did, I have to be guarded. I can't let her in completely because I'm scared to death of loving her the way she deserves, the way I do love her. I want to let her in…but I can't because in the back of my mind lurks the hurt that you created." Will explained.

Sarah sniffed and nodded again.

"I'm so sorry, Fitzwilliam." She apologised.

"I realise now that I can't let you influence my decisions, my life anymore. I love Elizabeth Bennet, so much but I've been an arse. I hate what you did to me, I hate you for letting me love you so deeply and wanting so much of a life with you knowing it was going to end badly. I had so many dreams for us, Sarah, I wanted to marry you and get our own house and have a few kids with you. I had pictured it all with you, retirement, growing old together. But it was all ripped away after we had signed our marriage certificate. And now I have the chance to be happy again, have a life with Lizzy if it isn't too late. And from now on, I'm going to make it up to her, to be a better man and let the past go because right now, I don't deserve her, but one day I will be the man who does." Will vowed deeply.

Sarah nodded again, moving her hand gently to wipe away her tears as Will let go of her hand. He hated upsetting her like this when she had just had surgery to save her life and he knew that his timing could have been better but he couldn't focus on the past anymore. He stood up from the chair and gave her a sympathetic look.

"Is there somebody that I can call? You shouldn't be on your own right now and I can't stay with you, I need to move on and the sooner I do that the better it will be for us all." Will stated softly.

"In my phone…a guy called Ralphie, he's my housemate." Sarah replied croakily.

"I'll ask the nurse to give him a call. Can you just do one thing for me?" Will asked.

"Anything."

"Move on with your life. I'm grateful for what you did, saving Lizzy from being shot and trying to her out of there but we all need to move on. Let the past stay where it needs to stay and find some happiness, someone who you can love without plotting to scam, Sarah. Just like I'm letting you go and your actions to make a life with Lizzy."

Sarah nodded her agreement and closed her eyes to drift off to sleep. Leaving the ward, Will sighed heavily but with determination that he was going to be that better man that Elizabeth deserved.


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N:** So thanks once more for those reviews on the last chapter. Sadly, we are now at the end of part 1 of these character's journeys. I'll be returning to regular postings of their journeys in A New Beginning which will start posting on Monday 4th December, I hope you lovely readers can wait eight weeks. It's been an amazing journey writing AHK and I love you all for supporting me through each chapter I've posted. A New Beginning will explore all the untouched stuff I haven't yet wrapped up: the slow repair of E+D's relationship, E getting through her kidnapping ordeal, Jamie's appeal and Lydia getting closure on that plus a few new ideas I have in mind for these characters.

So, here's the last chapter to AHK. Just a reminder, this story is rated M for a reason :) I hope you enjoy it.

 **Chapter Thirty-Four**

It had been three weeks since she had been rescued and the Wickhams had been arrested. With early May came some changes for the Bennet sisters. After spending the past three weeks on a limited contact with her loved ones and beginning counselling to help her come to terms with what had happened to her, Elizabeth felt glad to be back in the comforts of home and back in the outside world. In three weeks that had passed, the only contact she'd had was with her aunt, uncle and sisters to build up a good structure of support. Her family members had been included in some of her sessions with Dr. Richardson's team at QA to do their best to support her on the outside world but it wasn't real for her just yet. She still jumped at the unexpected sound of a door opening fast and with a bang. She didn't want to be surprised by a touch and the thought of planning to do things a week ahead of her didn't interest her. All Elizabeth knew was that her aunt was helping her to attend her appointments by marking them up on the kitchen calendar and not mentioning it until the night before the appointment. As far as work was concerned, she had been signed off from work by Dr. Richardson until the end of the school year and would be reviewed in the summer holidays to assess whether she was ready to return to work in September when the new school year started. Jane had managed to hire a temporary B&B manager in her absence so that she could stay in Portsmouth to be with her, Elizabeth knew that Jane was feeling worried about being so far out of the way in case something happened. Lydia was back at school but was reluctant to attend but Georgiana had knocked on the door with Kit the first day back after the Easter break and had dragged Lydia out of the way and promised Jane and Elizabeth to stay with her as much as she could where lessons allowed during the period of the school day.

Climbing down the stairs, she entered the living room and was greeted with a warm but protective look on her sister's face.

"Is there anything you want to do today?" Jane asked.

Elizabeth sat down on the sofa, shrugging her shoulders as she picked up the TV remote and began to flick mindlessly through the TV channels. At least if she had been able to go to work, she'd be able to concentrate on her work duties instead of trying to find things to do stuck at home.

"We could take Trip for a walk together if you want?" Jane suggested.

"Maybe later." Elizabeth replied quietly.

"Lizzy, some fresh air might do you some good-"

"Jane, I appreciate you're worried but I don't need you fussing over me."

Her sister nodded, getting up from the sofa as someone knocked on the door. Deciding to watch an old episode of Friends, Elizabeth took deep breaths to calm her pacing heart rate. Jane opened the front door, refusing to budge until Elizabeth stood behind her and smiled when she saw Will stood outside.

"I thought you'd be in London." Elizabeth said in surprise.

"Richard is taking care of things, I wanted to be around for you." Will replied, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

"I'm sure you could get more out of the way if you worked with your cousin." Jane commented.

"Richard understands that I'm needed here."

"Are you?"

Elizabeth poked her sister in the ribs to which Jane threw Will a dirty look and went back into the house while Elizabeth closed the door behind her boyfriend and led him upstairs to her bedroom for some privacy.

"How are you feeling?" Will asked, perching on the edge of her bed.

She shrugged her shoulders as she closed the bedroom behind them.

"Not great. I feel lost." Elizabeth admitted quietly.

"Lost?"

Elizabeth nodded, sitting next to him on the bed.

"I can't go to work because Dr. Richardson wants me to work through everything that happened three weeks ago. Jane is hovering over me because she's too worried. I can't sleep without medication because every time I try, I have horrible nightmares. I just don't feel like me anymore."

Will reached over and took her hand in his while the other cupped her cheek and looked deeply into her eyes.

"I'm sorry that I haven't been able to help you through the past three weeks." He apologised.

"It isn't your fault, I was only allowed contact with my family and I didn't have my phone." Elizabeth said softly.

"I just feel like I should have been there. Jane wouldn't tell me how you were doing, I had to rely on news of you from Lydia telling Georgie or Charles passing on what Jane had confided in him. I hated asking them to sneak around like that but it drove me mad not knowing how you were." Will sighed.

"Don't feel bad. I would have done the same if it were the other way around. I just have a lot to get my head around right now and all these therapy sessions are going to drive me mad." Elizabeth said quietly.

"Can I take you to your next one? Do you want me to stay with you?" Will asked.

"I'd like that." Elizabeth smiled.

She could tell he was being hesitant with her, as if he were unsure of how to act around her. She imagined the last three weeks had been a nightmare for him as much as it had for her. The last three weeks had been about her slowly talking about her ordeal with Wickham, first giving her statement to the police and then having a therapy session with her sisters followed by a visit to Sarah to see how she was recovering after being shot by Shane.

"I wasn't sure whether you would still want to be with me," Will admitted quietly, "You don't know what it means to me that you want me to come with you…"

"Will…" Elizabeth said, unsure of what to say to him.

In truth, she hadn't really thought about the future of her relationship with Will. The past three weeks she had mainly talked about everything that had happened to her, how she felt about it, her fears, how her sisters had gone through the ordeal, how they felt. It had been a rough few weeks, a lot of times she had been exhausted from the amount of crying she, Jane and Lydia had shared together because they had once again found themselves discussing the hell that had been their life for the past two years. Lydia had admitted her fears on awaiting the appeal hearing date for Jamie's case and how she didn't feel like she was strong on her own to get through it without her and Jane. And Jane had told them both honestly how she felt like it was her fault for not being around as much, for not being there with them both every day, feeling unsure of what to do for the two of them as they were going to face a tough few months ahead of them and how she had left Elizabeth on her own with Will when she should have stayed outside but out of the way so they could talk. As it had turned out, all three sisters had learned that while they had thought they had moved on from everything that had occurred over the past two years; they hadn't fully worked through all their fears. And all three now shared the same question in their head: could they move on completely?

"I don't know what to do Lizzy. I'm scared of trying to do the right thing but having it turn out to be the wrong thing." Will mumbled.

"Will…"

"And I really wish I could have been there for you these past three weeks. I can't imagine what you must be going through and it's all my fault. If I had stayed with you…if I had gone to the police about Sarah's warnings…this could have been prevented…"

"I don't want to talk about it right now." Elizabeth interrupted.

Will blinked at her and nodded.

"If that's what you want…" he said uncertainly.

"I don't know what I want…" Elizabeth sniffed, feeling a tear roll down her cheek, "I wanted to help you…be with you…but then Wickham…he has a sick mind…I thought he was going to…"

Will wiped away the tears that were rolling freely down her cheeks and held her to him, humming a soothing tune to her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him. She hated this. Being a mess and breaking down when she least unexpected it. Thinking she was fine one minute and then blubbing on Will's shoulder the next.

"Lizzy…we'll get you through this…no matter what or how long it takes…" Will whispered into her ear.

She nodded against his shoulder, sniffing as the tears continued. She let out a shuddered breath against him as he continued to hold her securely, making her feel safe in his arms.

"I just want to feel normal, for five minutes, forget that any of this ever happened." Elizabeth cried.

"I know, I do too." Will sighed.

"I thought I'd never see my sisters again, my aunt and uncle, you."

Pulling her to look at him, he cupped her face in his hands and used his thumbs to stroke away that tears that fell. He gave her a longing look as he gazed into her puffy green eyes.

"I would have stopped at nothing to get you out of there." Will whispered.

She let out a shuddered breath as she tried to calm herself down.

"Why didn't you just wait for the police?" Elizabeth asked, remembering that Jane had been annoyed that Will had rushed in without the police's permission or knowledge.

"I was impatient and I needed to get you back. Getting the police there would have taken too long. I didn't think rationally-"

"You could have been arrested!" Elizabeth interrupted.

"DC Harris let me go with a caution." Will said.

"You could have been hurt!"

"That didn't matter to me. All that matters to me is you. Wickham could have had the money, the company, whatever I had I would have handed over if it meant getting you back to me."

"I'm not the only one you have to think about Will. What if something had happened to you? How could I face Georgiana knowing you had been hurt? Why did you have to be so stupid?!" Elizabeth cried.

Will gazed into her eyes, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Because I love you. And the thought of losing you scared me to death." He said softly.

Her breath caught in her throat. Finally, he had said that he loved her out loud. And all it took was her being kidnapped for him to say it.

"I-I d-don't know what to say." Elizabeth muttered.

Will sighed heavily but maintained eye contact with her, as if not wanting to look away.

"I don't want to make this about me. But I saw Sarah in the hospital and told her that I didn't love her anymore and I needed to move on with my life, that I hated her for what she did to me and I wanted to move on with my life. With you. So, I'm saying, I love you. I'm sorry for pushing you away, for hurting you and having issues with our relationship. From now on, I'm going to be with you completely, be there for you every step of the way if you'll let me." He promised.

Hearing that he had been able to get some closure with Sarah was something that she had wanted him to be able to come to terms with, help him with and he'd been able to confront his ex-wife about what she had done. And here he was, sitting next to her and cupping her face, apologising for everything awkward that had happened between them over the last few weeks. He was asking if she would let him help her through this ordeal, through this nightmare and she still didn't know what her future was going to be like.

"Will, before this all happened with Wickham, we were in a very awkward place and it hurt. You hurt me. You questioned if you even knew me." Elizabeth muttered.

"I realise now that I was a prick. A complete prick. Someone who doesn't deserve you and I'm sorry. For all of it. And I wish I could take back the last few weeks and do things over. I wish I hadn't questioned our relationship, questioned the girl I should know by now, because if I hadn't have done all that then Wickham wouldn't have had the chance to get to you." Will said, his voice full of regret.

His eyes portrayed the guilt he felt over her being kidnapped and her heart broke to see that he had been suffering as much as the rest of her loved ones were. Everyone all felt some form of guilt or regret over her kidnapping.

"I wish you had dealt with your demons with Sarah a lot earlier than now." Elizabeth said, trying her best not to sound like she was blaming him.

"I do too. I should have listened to you when she put that note through the door and gone to the police about it. Things would be very different now if I hadn't brushed off your concern." Will sighed.

"I don't know where this leaves us." She said honestly.

Will looked hurt at her admission, making her feel like a complete arse for being honest with him. But she knew she had to be honest about her thoughts. She didn't know where she stood with him because of his earlier actions and while she appreciated his apology and reflection that he had been holding her at arms-length because of his hurt caused by Sarah, she didn't know if she could handle getting hurt like that again.

"I understand." Will muttered, his voice full of sadness but acceptance.

"Will, I love you. I do. But I'm a mess. I have a long road ahead of me if I'm going to get back to being myself instead."

"You can get through this, I know you can."

"But I don't."

"You've been through a nightmare, that's understandable. But Lizzy, isn't that the whole point of the long road to recovery? The journey is going to be bumpy, it's going to be hard and there will be times you want to give up but that's why you've got support from the people who love you. Ed, Maddie, Lydia, Jane. And me." Will stated.

She blinked. While he still looked hurt at her admission of not knowing where they were with each other, he wasn't giving up. He hadn't just gotten up, said goodbye and accepted what she had said. He was still sat with her, his eyes pleading for her to give him the chance to prove it to her that he wanted to be there with her through every step of getting through this nightmare.

"So, what are you saying? Dr. Richardson said that she imagines the next few months will be hard for me, given the fact I'm on sleeping pills, I cry at unexpected times because it the flashbacks and nightmares get to me just when I think I'm doing alright. Can you handle me being moody, emotional, needy? Because Dr. Richardson has already warned my family that is expected to happen." Elizabeth stated.

Will nodded.

"I can handle it. I can handle the therapy sessions and I'll gladly pick up the prescriptions you need for sleeping pills. I can handle sleepless nights if you have a nightmare or you can't sleep, I'll sit up with you for as long as you need me to. I'll handle mood changes and I'll listen for as long as you want me to if that's what you need me to do. I'll make you forget the best I can if you need to take your mind off it, I'll hold you if you need to cry or I'll cry with you if that's what I can do to make it better. And I'm not going to do all of it just because I feel guilty for my past actions. I'll do it because I want to help you through this, because I owe it to you and because I love you more than anything, Elizabeth Bennet." He promised.

She didn't know why she was crying again. She just knew that his declaration had touched her and that he meant every word he had just said by the way his brown eyes gazed into her eyes so warmly, so full of promise and hope that things would get better. Leaning forward so she was closer to him, their lips met. The kiss was slow, as if both was hesitant since it had been over three weeks since they had last kissed each other. One of Will's hands wove into her hair while the other wrapped around her waist and pulled her to him while Elizabeth's arms wove around his neck as she settled herself into his lap, her legs on either side of his as she straddled him.

"Lizzy…" he breathed against her lips, continuing to kiss her.

"Kiss me." She whispered.

Groaning his approval, he continued to kiss her, a little more heated this time as she dipped her tongue into his mouth and teased his tongue; needing to feel a little thrill. She needed this. To feel alive in his arms. To forget the numbness and the exhaustion and the fear she had been feeling for the past three weeks. As her mouth grew more fierce and insistent against his, her hands moved from his neck and to the buttons on his shirt and began to slowly undo the top one. Will pulled away from her, breathing heavily.

"We should stop." He panted.

"You want to stop?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

"Lizzy, I don't want to take advantage of you…" Will said.

"You aren't. I want this. I want to forget…I need to forget…just for a little while…I need you…I love you…Will please…." Elizabeth pleaded.

He groaned as his lips captured hers in another fiery kiss, her hands moving down his shirt, unbuttoning each button one by one until she could feel his broad chest underneath her fingertips. His hands remained on her back, stroking random patterns underneath her t-shirt until she moved them higher up her back until they met her bra clasp. Pulling away from her lips, he looked into her eyes questionably, as if asking her silently if this was what he really wanted.

"Yes, Will." She assured him in a whisper.

"This is what you want?" Will asked, "I can't stay in control if we push further…"

"Make love to me…" Elizabeth whispered quietly against his lips.

Nodding, Will's hands fumbled with her bra clasp, groaning when his hands moved to the front of her t-shirt and travelled underneath the bra to cup her breasts in both his hands. Elizabeth sighed in satisfaction as he massaged them, rolling his thumb over a nipple as his lips met hers again.

They were stopped from going any further by a loud knock on her bedroom door.

Will pulled away from her lips, moving his hands back to over her shirt instead of under.

"Not now…" Elizabeth groaned in dissatisfaction.

"Tell me about it." Will muttered.

She could feel his hard arousal in between her legs, grinning to herself she gently rocked her hips into his pelvis which caused Will to bite his lip to prevent a groan coming out.

Another knock at the door.

"What?" Elizabeth called out.

"Lizzy, we're taking Trip for a walk, do you want to come?" Jane asked loudly from the other side.

"No thanks! I'll stay here with Will." Elizabeth replied.

"Oh…he's staying, is he?"

She could hear the surprised and unapproving tone in her sister's voice which made her roll her eyes. Whenever Will's name had been mentioned over the past three weeks, her sister had a look of distaste on her face and whenever Jane had been forced to talk about him, she got the impression that her sister hated Will at the moment and blamed him for her kidnapping.

"Jane, I'll be fine here."

"Okay…call us if you need anything."

They both heard Jane's retreating footsteps down the stairs and seconds later the front door slammed to a close. The only sounds in the house was their breathing as they looked back at each other.

"So…where were we?" Will asked, a grin on his face forming.

Elizabeth returned his grin and pulled his lips back to her own.

ooOoo

Reaching that point of no return, Elizabeth collapsed on to her boyfriend's chest panting heavily. Will's heartbeat was pounding fast against her ear, joining in the same rhythm that her own was making. Their lovemaking had been incredible. She had missed being with him, moving with him, reaching that blissful point of completion with him. Right now, all she could recall was that he had been insistent that she be in control, keeping her on top of him, letting her set the pace she needed, touching her where she needed to be touched, telling her he loved her.

"Wow…" she managed to get out in breathless sigh.

Will chuckled, lifting her head to look at her.

"I've missed this." He said hoarsely.

"Me too." Elizabeth whispered.

Their lips met in a short lingering kiss as his hands wove into her hair and held her head in his hand.

"I love you, Lizzy."

Her eyes welled up in tears, she didn't want to cry but hearing him say those words to her so tenderly and without holding back meant so much to her that he was finally able to heal those old wounds and take a risk with her.

"I love you too."

Giving her another short kiss, Will frowned.

"What's the matter?" he asked softly.

"Just…thank you…for letting me have control over what just happened…being underneath you, it briefly brought back things Wickham said to me and it…"

He silenced her with a shushing sound and pressed his lips to her forehead and cradled her against his chest.

"I would have stopped if you wanted me to stop but you didn't want to, so I thought being on top and letting you see me underneath you, letting you take what you needed, letting you set the pace and having the control was what you needed." Will explained softly.

"I didn't want to stop. I needed this." Elizabeth mumbled.

"I'll do whatever I can to get you through this Lizzy. We'll get through this." Will promised.

"We still have a lot to talk about." She sighed.

Looking up at her as she lifted her head off his chest, he nodded.

"I know we do. Our relationship needs a lot of time, talking and repairing but we'll do it together if you still want to be with me."

"I do. But you were an arse and just because we've just had sex doesn't mean you aren't in the doghouse."

"I know. But I will make it up to you, become someone who deserves you."

"I want that more than anything, a new beginning, healing the hurt."

Will smiled, looking up at her through warm eyes.

"We'll figure it out together."

Nodding her agreement, he leaned up and captured her lips in another passionate kiss.


End file.
